Burning Ice
by secretwriter18
Summary: Bree was a human who could never please, who never felt loved by her parents. When she's turned into a vampire and goes hunting for blood-will she find someone who can love her-or will she be killed before she can make it?
1. Chapter 1Imprinting

Fear.

It thrummed through her veins, encasing every particle of her being as she slipped into the icy water, oxygen unnecessary. Their pace was quick, seamless and effortless as murky liquid shivered in their icy, terrorizing wake. Her dark hair, long and brown, could not hide her blood red eyes as she followed her leader-Riley. Only he could be trusted. This had been proven one too many times in the past few months. Her thoughts, now scattered, shifted to the life she had left behind-the life of Bree Tanner, the human who was never good enough, the one who could never truly please her parents.

The water was no bother to the young female as she pressed on, her mind whirring from subject to subject, yet her body moving robotically. The plan was simple, she reassured herself as Riley turned, heading East. They were to follow the scent, swift and like they didn't exist, and find the Cullens. Then they were to destroy them-for they had made "the one" live in fear. They had to be extinguished. There was no other option. They had committed a capitol crime by installing fear in Riley's mate. Riley never was one to tolerate outlandish behavior... and it ended badly for hose who risked it-for those who acted foolish.

The edge of the water emerged and her attention began to focus solely on what they had been instructed: Some stupid, something completely meaningless so that they wouldn't have a heads up on their battle plans-which were rough and would be guided by the scents of the offenders. She searched for something mundane and quickly found it as she at last stepped onto dry ground again, surrounded by the green trees and grass of Forks in the winter time. Shr kept her pace as her thoughts ran wild...

She had always wanted to be loved.

The idea was pointless, she knew, because she was to live forever-and those she grew to love would only grow old and die. It was a depressing idea, really-but why should it matter to her? She had never been loved by her "parents". She had never had a real friend-had never had anyone who truly cared about her in a genuine way. She was used to apathy towards her well being and safety. This was what suited her best. She could only remember one time when someone had cared-and she had played their emotions against tem, only to drain their life source from their body as she watched them writhe and scream in pain.

She would have thought that she wouldn't feel bad after her first kill-but she was wrong. While Riley's ruthless attitude suited her, she didn't enjoy killing humans... even the people who had no homes were still people right? They didn't deserve to die. They didn't deserve to be killed. What if they -What if they were the one to find a cure for cancer? What if they were the next mother Theresa? What if they were the person who could solve all societal problems with one sentence-with one word? They could be the person who finally made it to Pluto, or the one who actually makes a movie that could change the entire world with one viewing..

Yes, she craved te taste of blood-She needed it to survive-but was her life, her eternal life, worth the lives of countless others who would die at her hands? Was every killing, every drop of cursed, life giving liquid, worth the blood on her hands? Was the blood on her hands, on her soul and heart, worth killing people she had never met-people who had never harmed her, who had never spoken or thought ill of her intentionally. A frown crossed her lips as they turned west, flying through the trees at an inhuman rate... a cry echoed, and they began to split, approaching different areas of the clearing.

Riley hissed-and they charged.

The battle field was pure hell. In hindsight, she knew she should have guessed that it wouldn't be pretty-but no one had ever anticipated the monsters that awaited them. She had always heard rumors about giant wolves-but these weren't wolves. These were monsters... monsters straight from the pits of hell. As she watched one-with a silver coat that she noted looked smaller than the rest- tear one of her companions to pieces with the raw strength of it's jaw, she knew she had to get out of there. She had to get out of there fast. She need to leave before they spotted her.

She felt adrenaline rush through her as she surveyed the scene. Before any could notice her, she had left the clearing and was speeding through the trees, free from the hell that was behind her.

She raced through the trees, smelling the grass, the dirt, the plant life as she passed by it-until she smelled something out of place. She stopped, entranced by the smell she had found. It was intoxicating, and she need to find what had emitted such a heavenly, ambrosial scent. As she followed it, she barely noticed the spots of blood-that smelled mildly of freesia-and noticed first that she was heading for the mountains, which was not far from the battle field in vampire terms. The snow glittered beneath her feet, diamond like and harmless as she barely touched it, yet leaving foot prints as she came to a ledge on the side of the mountain.

As she approached the edge of it, she heard voices-but knew neither of them could be the source of the smell. She didn't quite know how she knew-but she did. The voices were female and male, and arguing with too much affection towards the other voice. Bickering, yet too much in love. She looked over the ledge, seeing one who looked like her, and noticed the slight apprehension in his voice as she did so. Still, emboldened by the lack of movement, she stepped up on the edge of the ledge so she could be seen-and the area went silent as they observed her. She was small-not as small as Alice, no-and dressed casually, a pair of jeans and tennis shoes with a worn shirt. Her hair was wet, dirty, and had clumps of moss in it from the water she d traveled through. Her face had a streak of dirt on her right cheek from a time she couldn't recount-but she didn't quite care.

Her eyes had drifted to the three young men who stood a little ways from the young couple-on human and one immortal. The oldest had a scowl on his face, and he was trembling with a ferocity that warned of danger. Yet, he ran off into the distance, cursing his elders-which confused her, but it was okay. The youngest seemed tense, but innocent and more approachable-he looked almost her age, but with innocent, dancing brown eyes.

Her eyes locked with the middle ones, and she felt oxygen trap in her lungs. Her heart seemed to ache yet melt all at once as she saw a mixture of pain and love in his eyes-eyes that were a dark, warm, brown. His face was beautiful, almost regal, with high cheek bones and russet skin gleaming in the sunlight. He was slightly taller than her, she didn't mind that.

Her body lithely moved from it's uncertain stance until she stood before him. Had she not been absorbed by the angelic face before her, she would have noticed the perplexed looks of the couple who stood only feet away from them. This was against nature-but, bella knew, even if she was human, she knew Jacob had imprinted... But she didn't know if she was glad about it like she had thought she would be.


	2. Chapter 2Calamity and Fear

A very Long A/n:

I'm going to try something a little different from this point on in the story. I'll be doing it in Bree's POV, and maybe Jacob's every once if the readers tell me that they want to see out of Jacob's eyes. I think it would be interesting, but it's all up to the people who read it.

Anyhow, I really like how this is going and I have a few ideas. I hadn't planned on continuing it, but I reread the reviews and I couldn't leave those few people hanging…. Even if I had left my account for almost a year.

With that, I also feel obligated to mention those lovely lovely lovely people who reviewed, alerted and favorite me on my very first ever story on this site:

**Cutessa Saria:** Thank You so much for reviewing. If you want, I can make you a character in my story, as a part of Bree's past life? Let me know what you think.

**JAStheSPAZZrocks**: You really do rock. And I'm not a genius; I just think waaaaay too much for my own good.

**Redballoonsfly:** you have no private messaging, but thank you so much. Your review was very much appreciated and loved

**This chapter is dedicated to all three of these lovely people **

Oh, and a last little tidbit: If anyone who reads and or reviews this and has any ideas I could use to continue it, Pm me or review me and let me know.

Wow, this was a really really long author's note. Reviews are appreciated. As always, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended. All I own is the twisted characters and plotlines my mind decides to invent. Oh, and this new shiny laptop I got for my nineteenth birthday **

**Chapter Two: Calamity and Fear**

His face was too beautiful, too regal to be real. I knew that, being a vampire, that anything should seem possible… but his face unlike any I had ever seen.

Russet, almost gleaming skin stretched over high cheek bones. Everything perfectly proportioned, symmetrically balanced, like the perfect drawing; an immaculate sculpture made of shimmering bronze…

He was a sculpture that had taken so many years to create, to perfect to this painful degree.

I was stuck, frozen in awe as I stood before him, feeling the heat radiate off of this wondrous young man that stared at my frozen, unaging features. A wave of sadness crashed over me as I realized that, like all other creatures, this boy, this young male would age also… No matter how badly I wanted him, wanted his company or his blood (one was comparable with the other-the terms were loosely interchangeable), I would never make him suffer the fate that I had been unwillingly forced into. I would never make his too warm skin go icy, or take away the beat of his heart. That would be too cruel, too unjust to him.

I wondered, calmly, if he would ever be able to see past the icy skin-but no. The thought of knowing him other than as this carefully crafted mirage was a faint whisper of what I wanted, and something I could not have. My heart throbbed as it sang…a painful if not unusual paradox. I swallowed, taking a ragged but silent breath of air; his scent, so overpowering with the close proximity, would have made me sway on my feet if I would have been human. Now, it made my mouth water, and I could see my eyes go black in his own warm brown ones.

I wanted to speak, but I didn't know what to say to him. What could I say to him? He seemed to be at a loss for words like myself and I mused on that fact for a moment. I looked away, unable to take the intensity of his gaze. I needed to look away and clear my head… and a new scent teased my senses, a light floral scent… I wrinkled my nose. I never liked flowers in my human life, because of allergies, and the smell of the girl was tainted by my memories.

Memories of all of the ridiculous flowers my parents would get to compensate for never being there flooded back and I glared at the girl, who would forever remind me of my inadequacies because of how she smelled. I didn't understand how they found that smell appetizing. Ugh...

I heard a light laugh and looked to the one being like me-he was beautiful, as all vampires were. Yet, he had an arm around the human girl, his stance angled protectively. I blinked, and the reason why came to me. So this was Edward, the mind reader.

But what was funny? I hadn't thought anything that particularly had comedic merit. Or, well, I thought so. Then again, it didn't necessarily mean that it was me that had made him laugh. He could have been laughing at the boy in front of me-but an emotion I had become too accustomed to rise at the thought: a vicious sense of anger that permeated every thought, and could only be relieved when the source of the anger was eliminated.

I tried to push it down, knowing that any attempt to attack would be in vain. He was a mind reader and probably skilled in fighting. His mouth was still quirked into a crooked, breathtaking smile that had no effect on me. Vampiric beauty was pale in comparison to the one next to me. Ah, and the smile grew wider as the thought crossed my brain waves. He spoke, his voice like velvet as he replied to my internal curiosity.

"You have found your blood singer, _La Tua Cantante._"

I tilted my head to the side, puzzled by what he said, but his eyes became unfocused… Abruptly, he seemed to be brought into the real world, his smile gone. He gave a short nod to the two people beside me (when had the other one gotten here? Or had I been so enraptured that I had failed to notice him? The latter was more probable), and spoke quickly. "The battle is over-she will not be harmed under your protection, but the Volturi are coming. We need to return to the battle site to determine a place to keep her and to discuss… more recent developments."

His eyes flickered to me, that amused grin ghosting over her lips again. "Be there within five minutes, mutt."

I felt my eyebrows rise at the insult, a protective anger rising again. But he had scooped his human into his arms and had fled, a whimsical laugh reaching my ears. A growl cut through my anger, and I looked beside me, startled to see his anger. What could be wrong? I was on the ledge again before he could see me leaving, afraid that some harm would come to me. I had no idea why-he was a human, the thought of him being able to harm me was laughable.

But the anger on his face, the snarl on his lips as he trembled-it made me want to get away, fast. His eyes looked around, and the anger vanished as he searched for me, his eyes eventually resting on the ledge, where my black eyes were wide with terror.

Remorse filled every feature of his face, and my heart, dead as it was, clenched at the sight. What could he be remorseful for? The fear dissipated, leaving a need, an odd urge to comfort him. I didn't want to see that look on his face, not if it could be prevented.

Contradicting my previous actions, I was in front of him again in the blink of an eye, closer than before… Much closer. He tensed, and I nearly physically recoiled, seeing the mix of disgust and fear on his angelic features. As I realized this, I had a new rush of fear, guilt, and anguish. I was a frozen creature, considered a demon in some cultures… What if he didn't want comfort from a creature like me? What if he didn't want me, but wanted me to leave instead? Well, there was only one way to find out, wasn't there?

Unsure, I was frozen as his eyes locked with mine again. Words, saccharine with a heavy accent, I spoke cautiously.

"Do you want me to leave? If I make you uncomfortable, I can go." The words were steady, like the rip that seemed to be tearing apart my soul at the thought of leaving him…

It was something I didn't understand, but it was also something that I wouldn't ignore. His eyes widened, panic filling them as he spoke for the first time, "No! You-you can't leave. Like the leech said, you have to go with me or my pack brothers will attack you; they'll think you wanted to kill Bella," He said hurriedly. I blinked, dazed for a moment by the sound of his voice

It was so unlike the voice of a vampire… rough, unfettered compared to the smooth velvet of the mind reader. I would have shivered if I wasn't made of stone. "You're…your pack brothers?" The question was murmured, and I began to fit the pieces together. Those monsters weren't just wolves; they were humans that walked amongst other normal humans. They were protectors of the human race, fighting against the kind of monster that I was.

"And-you don't want to kill me? Either of you don't want to harm me?" I asked clearly, wondering what their answer would be. The boy's eyebrows seemed to knit together in confusion. "No-no, we don't," The younger boy of the two interjected. I looked at him, and saw a sweet smile with kind eyes-non-judgmental eyes that saw beyond the icy wall that was stronger than steel. "We know you didn't want to hunt Bella. You didn't even attack her when you were a foot away from her."

I tilted my head again, looking at him, amused. "Why would I attack her? She smells like flowers-I've always hated flowers. Why would I eat her if she smells like something I hate?"

A snort of laughter came from somewhere behind me, and I turned to see the oldest one, the one who had looked so angry… "C'mon Black. Everyone's waiting for your sugar coated ass," He rumbled. A growl, like that of a cat, erupted from my chest-I'd had enough anger for one day. I had him by the throat, pinned against a tree before he could finish. The growl grew louder until it turned into a snarl, and I was barely resisting ripping his brown throat out with my teeth.

"Do. Not. Insult. Him. I have had enough of hearing the insults. I am no weakling, and the next time you look at him wring, you'll be vampire chow you inbred piece of scum." He was trembling so violently he could have shaken the tree out of the ground- and I found myself being flung back, the boy who had captivated me throwing the angry one to the side.

I gasped, landing on my feet as the boy writhed on the ground, seeming to explode into a silver gray wolf. It looked beyond infuriated, and snapped its jaws at me, a terrifying growl coming out of it. The boy, the youngest one, moved in front of me, and stood tall, saying loudly, "She's an imprint, Paul. You can't touch her, so back off."

An imprint? What was that?

The growling had stopped, the wolf still leveling me with an intense glare. It was the size of a horse, and I had no doubt it could kill me like the others did down in the meadow to the army. I shuddered internally at the memory, and forced myself to focus on the present.

The wolf stood there calmly-should he be called Paul? Could such a vicious creature have a name?-looking unhappy at best.

The boy who stood in front of me sighed, saying, "I'll go with you to get some pants. The others will most likely be back soon anyway." The wolf nodded, and the boy turned around, a kind smile on his lips. "It was nice to meet you, despite the circumstances. I'm Seth, by the way. Seth Clearwater." He held out a hand and I gingerly took it, shaking the burning skin. "I'll leave you with Jacob; you guys only have a couple minutes left."

With that, he jogged off, never even asking what my name was, leaving me alone with the boy whose name I'd finally learned…

_Jacob, Jacob, Jacob,Jacob….._ My mind chanted it over and over, like a whisper of a prayer unheard.

_Jacob…._

This beautiful boy who had saved me from that angry, bitter wolf.

_Jacob…_

The beautiful boy who had captivated me and drawn me away from this battle.

_Jacob…._

The one who was now standing in front of me, smiling like his entire world revolved around me.

I smiled back, for once feeling like being a vampire wasn't so bad. After all, it had gotten me him, a new friend at the very least, hadn't it?


	3. Chapter 3The Emotional Battle

A/n: I wouldn't have posted this, but I needed to have 6000 words on a story to become a beta. So, I posted another chapter. Enjoy the fruits of a long night of labor, my dear viewers.

Enjoy, and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I just like to play around with them and put them in a lot of situations they would never be in other wise.

Chapter three: The Emotional Battle

Jacob.

The name itself was an unsung song that reverberated in the walls of my brain, the sweet melody melting my frozen insides. His smile was beatific as he looked at me, an expression I couldn't fathom gracing his russet skin. He moved forward, nearing where I stood. As he approached, I took a step back, watching the happiness change to hurt.

"You won't attack me?" I questioned again, still on edge after Paul had tried to sever my granite head of with his canine jaws. He shook his head. "No, I could never do that-you're too beautiful to hurt," he murmured, the sentence inaudible to human ears. A bitter laugh escaped and I paid no attention to how he reacted as I spoke venomously.

"A beautiful monster-a nightmarish beauty. I'm what makes nightmares, Jacob. Creatures like me are the demons of dreams. Beautiful, but only to lure in the unsuspecting prey. Do not confuse my beauty with true beauty. True beauty does not kill, does not maim nor does it drink blood."

The harsh reality the words brought was softened by the saccharine accent I possessed, and I dared not look up to see the rejection he would give me…. But why did it matter? We could never be together, never… He was human and there was no way that I would ever force him to live the kind of existence that I lived. "I don't care what you are-do you think I don't know how you live? What your purpose is? My kind were created to destroy you-"

The words gashed through me, a steel arrow to my soul. I looked up, snarling loudly. "Then do it, dearest Jacob. Kill me like you were meant to, rather than let me live. Do what Paul should have done."

"No."

His answer was firm, decisive in the fact that he would not be responsible for my blood being spilled.

He moved at a speed that no human could, coming to stand inches away from my face. He seemed hesitant but leaned down, his eyes meeting mine. "No one will touch you, not even the Volturi. I'll make sure of it." Warm breath fanned over my face, and my eyes fluttered shut. The smell of him was intoxicating…

"Jacob?" I said quietly, not expecting him to hear it.

"Yeah?" He responded, just as softly.

My eyes opened slowly, revealing black where blue should have been.

"If you don't want for me to drain your body of blood, then you really should step back and give me some space. You have no idea of how mouthwatering you smell."

His eyes widened at my words, but he didn't move. "I…I smell good to you? Really?" His voice was normal this time. I gave him a tight smile, nodding once. "What do I smell like?" He asked as his smile began returning. "Um…." I blanked, seeing the contrast of his too bright teeth against his dark skin. "You smell like…like chocolate and mint and s-sunshine-Jacob please, if you want to remain in one piece, back up NOW." I stammered and ground out.

At last, he obeyed and stepped back. I could breathe easier now… even if his scent was all around me, it was a lot easier to deal with whenever he was an inch from me. I sighed in relief, running a hand through my knotted hair. "We should go to the meadow," I said absently, pulling out twigs and moss. Disgusting. It was absolutely disgusting.

A second later, I shrieked in pure terror as he scooped me up into his arm and took off running.

When I stopped shrieking, he asked a question that somewhat embarrassed me, even though I had been in a life and death situation a moment ago. "What's your name?" His deep voice queried. If I could have blushed, I would have. "Um, it's Bree. Bree Tanner," I mumbled under my breath, suspecting that he had abnormal hearing abilities. His lips, so beautiful like the rest of him, mouth my name with a tender smile, his speed faster than any car that could be made by man. Oh yes. He had to have some really great hearing abilities, I concluded. How else would he be able to hear all of the things that I had said? I was distracted from this thought by him speaking again, gaining my undivided and devoted attention.

"When we get there, I won't lie. My pack brothers won't like it. But don't worry, you'll be protected, Bree. I won't let them be like Paul. I'm supposed to be their leader, and if I need to step up to the plate, then Sam will just have to deal-"

"Supposed to be?" I questioned, interrupting his reassuring speech (that really wasn't working). I saw him frown. "When I became a wolf, I didn't want to be in the pack, much less be its leader. I'm the great grandson of the man who was our chief. I was supposed to be the Alpha, the leader of the pack. I didn't want it, so Sam, our current Alpha kept on. I wasn't the first one to phase, he was, so he was the leader until I came along. I declined when I did."

He glanced down at me, his eyes uncertain as he continued to elaborate.

"But if he insists on being unreasonable, then I'll become the Alpha and put down the order that no one is to touch you."

How sweet of him, I thought to myself. Sweet but stupid.

I was unable to continue with my thoughts because I saw the meadow getting nearer. My body tensed up in fear of what he had said about his pack brothers…

Would they attack me before he could claim his title as alpha?

My stomach would have felt queasy, were it alive and able to function.

His arms squeezed me tighter, his lips meeting my forehead. His lips pressed against it in a gentle kiss, making my entire body melt against him. Bloodlust forgotten, I was boneless in his arms as he whispered in my ear not to worry, that he would protect me. I inhaled deeply, his scent overtaking every one of my senses, the worry having dissipated with the kiss…

We broke into the clearing s his paced slowed to a fast walk. I didn't open my eyes, for fear of seeing how many pack brothers he had, or the people I had been created to destroy. His breathing was steady, the rise and fall of his chest soothing my panic away, and his scent took care of all clear thought for a few more precious moments….

Until a bell like voice demanded an answer.

"What took you two so long? My vision was supposed to gout out three minutes ago!" A small, pixie like creature stood in the middle of a line of golden eyed vampires, and I aimed my glare at her, a warning growl escaping me. She looked taken aback by the fact that I had growled at her-but one wrong word and she would be up against a tree like Paul.

Amused looking, Jacob answered her. "WE were discussing a few important things, sprite. What? You didn't see it?" He was taunting her, and my lips quirked up in a small smile. The psychic couldn't see him. Amazing. I loved him even more now- Wait. Love? Nononononononono. Not love. I didn't know anything about love. Love wasn't my Forte. My parents hadn't loved me, no one had… I was only a figure that completed their picture perfect family.

"No, I didn't-"

"Why are you holding a leech?"

A deeper voice, full of authority, rang out over the clearing. I saw the man who I supposed to be Sam, and understood why he would be a leader. He looked like one. He was tall, strong; a perfectly collected image that radiated self-confidence and all-knowing authority. A wonderful leader he may have been, but not the right leader. Jacob, my Jacob, was their leader… And as Sam spoke, Jacob's back straightened, his posture becoming tense, preparing for a metaphorical battle. Well, I hoped it was metaphorical.

He turned to face him, his shoulders set as he held onto me.

"I'm holding her because she's my imprint. And her name is Bree Tanner."

The silence in the clearing was deadly, and the people that looked so much like my Jacob all seemed to pale underneath their russet tones. "Your imprint? Jake, that's not possible. She's _dead_. You can't imprint on a dead person." Another wolf argued weakly, still stunned by what he had heard. His words felt like a blow to the chest, crushing my lungs. I didn't know what an imprint was, but it seemed to be important. And, in the crazy mythical world, I wanted to be that for some reason. I looked away, to the dead grass of the clearing to conceal my anguish. I knew they wouldn't accept me. Like Jacob had said, they weren't created to like creatures like me. They were created to destroy creatures like me… Because I wasn't supposed to exist. Simple as that.

His burning cheek rested against mine, his scent overpowering me as he breathed warm, loving words into my ear. "Don't pay them any attention. I've got this, Bree." A kiss was pressed to my neck, his nose resting just under my jaw. I melted all over again, the tension gone.

He raised his head up, the glare in his eyes feral and defiant.

"Will you allow it or not?" His voice was no longer the warm, rough one I had known for less than ten minutes. It was harsh, demanding with its authority. Sam hesitated, and a growl rumbled in Jacob's chest. "Choose Sam. Allow it or not. Either way, my decision is made."

Sam scowled. "No. She could harm our people. If she were human, then I wouldn't see a problem with it. I won't risk the tribe for an infatuation."

"Then I think it's time you stepped down, Sam. The rules of the pack are that no harm is to come to an imprint. If she stays, she will die. If you don't let her travel with me, we're going to have a problem."

"No, Jacob. She is not coming on our lands. I'm the Alpha, and I say she will not come on our lands, like the treaty says."

Jacob was completely calm, placing me on unsteady feet. I sank into the cool, soft grass that was brown, watching in a transfixed state-held by the image of Jacob walking. He walked up to Sam, their heights equal as he crossed his arms over his chest. What he said next sent tangible shivers down my spine.

"I am Jacob Black, the Grandson of Ephraim Black, and I am the true alpha of this pack alone. You will step down and you will follow my orders, Samuel Uley. She will travel with us and will stay in the Pack meeting house until it is safe for her to return to the Cullens. Am I clear?"

"You can't let her on our lands, Jacob. What if she attacks Emily? Or Claire? What if she attacks any of the other imprints?"

"She won't. And she's coming, Sam."

Sam had a stern, otherwise unreadable expression on his face as he looked at me and then Jacob. He sighed a moment later, a resigned look on his face. "Fine. Be the Alpha you were supposed to be. But don't let your judgment be clouded when it comes to her." Another growl began to escape him, and he was trembling like Paul had earlier.

I was sure I knew what was about to happen. Despite my aversion to physical touch, I reached out, placing a hand on his cheek. The tremors ceased immediately, and he looked down at me, brown eyes full of guilt. I wondered if he saw something in my eyes that made him feel that way…? I hoped not.

"Wow."

A Southern accent permeated the little bubble had created, and I looked, not moving my hand. "I've never seen someone's emotions change that fast, except for in a new born-no offense meant, darling," the blonde haired man allowed graciously. "No offense taken, sugar," I retorted, my words coated with sarcasm. He smiled, and I was reminded, for a moment, of the southern boys from home-those foolish, dare devil boys. Jacob snorted lightly, a grin on his face. "Sugar?" He questioned, and I raised my eyebrows, removing my hand. "You use your vernacular, and I'll use mine, Jacob," I replied succinctly. "Don't ever call me sugar," he said and I rolled my eyes.

"As amusing as all of this is-we need to get down to business." Ah, the pixie lived.

A new person stepped forward-and I recognized him, because Victoria had said there were two blondes. One was southern, and one was the leader. This was the leader.

"Bree, will you be open to the idea of feeding off of animals? We do not feed on humans, but the local wildlife. The only way you will be permitted to stay is if you agree to live like us, in peace with the treaty that was created with Jacob's relative."

His voice was kind, soothing, and I was still shocked by what he said. Animals? They fed off of animals? Vampires could survive on blood that wasn't a human's?

"Yes, we can. It's an unusual thing we've decided to do-many of our kind don't understand it. It is a life we choose to live, and it is a life you must live if you desire to stay here," Edward explained.

I nodded slowly, taking in a deep breath and exhaling. "I… I don't like feeding off of humans. It feels wrong. I will live like you-and to prove that I won't attack anyone in the tribe, I'll even feed off of a deer if you'll permit me to hunt before we go to the pack meeting place."

I looked to Sam, seeking his approval, and he gave a curt nod in response. "I've never drank animal blood before though-how does it taste?" I asked. At this, the only blonde woman smiled. "It tastes a bit earthy, to be honest. It sounds weird, but you'll see what I mean," She clarified. The man beside her, built like a professional body builder, squeezed her around the waist, smiling down at her. The girl who had spoken was too beautiful for words, and I felt my ego take a hit. Still, I smiled, thanking her. I was sure she knew, since she was a part of the Cullen clan.

"Well, we'll call you when it's over… but she needs to leave. Like, now. They'll be here in two minutes, coming from the North." Jeesh, that pixie was annoying…

Jacob nodded, scooping me into his arms again. "See ya," was the only thing he said before taking off into the woods, the wind whipping my hair at his speed.

I let his heat soak into me as I leaned against his scorching chest, feeling content for the first time since I could remember.


	4. Chapter 4Hunting and Introductions

Author's Note: I was going to make this into two chapters, but I figured since it has been a while and I promised the chapter ages ago... I would be nice and make it into one chapter :) And now that I have internet again, I can update regulary :) So, Enjoy the chapter and please review, especially if you have any ideas of what you would like to happen in the story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is just the product of an overactive imagination of a girl who has seven sisters who all happen to be in love with Twilight. Blame them.

**Chapter Four: The Feeding and The Introduction **

Heat is a strange thing, I mused as I all but melted against the burning chest of the Quileute who held me, tucked safely in his grasp so no member of his pack could harm me.

As the forest sped by, every detail clear to the blood-red-turned-black irises my new life had bestowed me with, I mulled over the aspects of the one thing that had seemed to surround me my entire life: heat, both its presence and its absence. Heat was was a constant element in everyone's life, but also impassive to human desires, making you crave it when you needed it most but hating it when you didn't (It could be something you despised, like on the hot days of summer when there's no relief but a warm breeze; it could be something you craved like in the dead of winter, when you drank hot beverages and slept under warm blankets by a fire). Seeing as the cold of winter, nor the heat of summer could affect me any longer, it left me to wonder how high his body temperature burned in order for it to affect me. I looked up, coal black eyes seeing smooth bronze skin once again, and murmured the question: "How high is your body temperature? Heat and cold both fail to affect vampiric skin, and yet you feel warm..." He glanced down, and a smile played on his lips. "Our temperature runs at about 108.6, on a regular day. When we phase it gets higher," he explained patiently, his body changing angle as we went up a slope. I wrinkled my nose in confusion and he answered the question before it was asked. "Phasing is when we change to a wolf or back human. It's weird, how we phase. It's like we...we're on fire for a split second and then we're in a conmpletely different world... Anyway," he cleared his throat, looking embarrassed for trailing off on a tangent like he had. "It's okay. I understand," I said softly, and he looked down at me again, dark brown eyes curious.

He didn't voice the question that lurked behind his eyes, and I was grateful-but more than that, I was curious. Where were we going? I hadn't been a human for more than a couple of days in Seattle before I had been changed, and even if I had had time to explore...I doubted this would be the route I would have taken on a free day. Going into the forest, going outside was something I would have done only in the woods I knew, the woods of home; these trees were too tall, the floor of the forest too mossy and green. Where was the brown color of the soil, the warm earth I knew from my past? This forest was strange, but at least the smells were familiar-wet earth, soil, and the unique smell that only plants and fresh air can seem to give. I could smell all of this and so much more as I felt a faint wisp of air go past my face; what intrigued me the most of all was the smell of animals lurking nearby, gone silent from the presence of the undead. It was hard to think of myself as that, as a deadly creature that people feared, when I felt terrified of nearly everything. I had killed only out of necessity, and I mourned for the loss of life I had caused. Perhaps, with this new life, I could find peace with the mistakes I had made. Perhaps, with the young man who had saved me from his savage brother, I could embrace this new life and all of its sides, both good and bad. But all of those innocent people...how could I ever forgive myself for taking their lives...

Jolted out of the memories of the first few kills I had made, I realized we had stopped; the trees had thinned and we were nearing a cliff. Hs grip loosened and I slid lithely to the ground, resting on my feet. "Where are we at?" I queried, and he smiled at me, teeth bright against his skin. "I followed the scent-it's a herd of deer, don't you smell it?" Processing his question, I had realized I hadn't; I quirked a brow at him, now able to think more clearly with him atleast a few inches away. I had never bothered to pay attention, with the heat radiating off of him and me concentrating on not biting his throat out."No, Jacob, I didn't. I was a little preoccupied." Yeah, his smile could be used as a weapon, I determined, before using his proclamation as a reason for distraction from the image before me. Gingerly, I sniffed the air, nostrils flaring slightly, and he snorted at the action. My lips curved slightly in a smile I could not help, but I had smelled it, had heard it-the smell of fresh blood, the sound of a beating heart. Coated with venemous saliva, my tongue darted out, moistening my lips as if it would matter what state they were in as my pupils dilated ever so slightly. I cleared my throat, mimicking the action like he had to make me seem more human, and said, "You don't have to...to watch. I can do this on my own, you know." I was allowing him an out. If he didn't want to witness this, he didn't have to. It could be...disturbing, watching a vampire stalk and catch its prey. The term seemed slightly more bearable now that I was hunting animals and not human beings. I could call them prey; I had gone deer hunting more than once at home.

A sigh escaped him, and his eyes, dark like mine were for the moment, sparkled with determination. "I think I can handle it. I've probably seen worse." I shook my head lightly, wet hair nearly dry, and sighed. "Fine-but if you ever want to leave, then I won't hold it against you." I was worried that he would see me hunt and would never want to see me again, that he would run and never look back. Puzzled by the urge to want to keep him by my side, I shook it off and moved towards the herd of deer. The were a short distance away, and there was an easy hiding spot behind a large rock. We really were close to the cliff. A few large rocks dotted the area, and I wondered why the deer had wandered this close to a rocky surface like this. Wiping the thought out of my head, I moved up on the rock silently, looking over the herd. I knew that in a second's notice, I could be on one of the deer before the herd even knew I was there. The advantage was like a little girl playing with toys on her bedroom floor. They had no chance. Pursing my lips briefly in contemplation, my gaze rested on a young fawn whose antlers were about to come in. He would have to do. To take out the buck would be damaging to the herd, as would taking out a mother. I couldn't do that to this group of innocent animals. I would take out only what would cause the least damage.

Nostrils flaring slightly, I took another deep breath, briefly closing blackened eyes before opening them and moving into a crouch. A second later, or perhaps half a second, my muscles sprang from the tensed position, moving as smoothly as flowing water; I landed on the young fawn who was no taller than myself and snapped it's neck, sinking my teeth into it's throat as the herd scattered, terrified of the predator I had become. The blood had no particular appeal to me, but it was hot and soothing in a sickening sense, as if it could ever quench the burning in the back of my throat. With a few gulps of the ruby colored liquid, the body was drained and I stood with blood drenched lips and teeth, observing the small and lifeless body of a deer. I tilted my head to the side, curious as I debated what the taste reminded me of...To be honest, it kind of tasted like vegetable soup, I mused, and giggled at the comparison. It was insane, to laugh at the thought of a deer's blood comparing to a homemade dish...but what other kind of humor was left in the endless life that I was left to endure? I had to take joy wherever I could get it. "What's the joke?" His voice shouldn't sound so familiar, I thought as I turned to look at him, eyes now a bright, crimson red again. A smile stretched over bloody lips and teeth, creating what should have been a haunting image. I didn't see even one muscle flinch.

"It just reminded me of vegetable soup. It seemed funny," I admitted, and he rolled his eyes, hands going to his hips. As he rolled his eyes, he had looked so much younger-like a teenager who was rolling his eyes at his parents when he was getting scolded. Observing him carefully, I was left to wonder how young he really was. "How old are you?" His head hung at the question in a voice I had yet to grow used to. Tinkling like bells, it was nothing like the voice I had known for so long. "You're not gonna believe me," He said, jumping off of the rock I had been perched on previously, and taking a few steps towards me. "Try me," I said, humoring him for a brief moment as I stepped away from the deer, towards the rock again. I all but danced around him before coming to sit infront of the boulder. Staring up at him with innocent eyes, I waited for him to tell me. He lifted an arm, running a hand over his face as he exhaled heavily. "I'm about to turn seventeen." Both eyebrows shot up in surprise and he gave me a wry smile. "Told you," he said softly, coming to sit beside me infront of the boulder. He rested his head on it, closing his eyes, before speaking again. "And you? How old are you?" I smiled wryly, and he peeked open one brown eye, waiting for my reply.

"Seventeen. Almost eighteen, but what does age matter anymore? I'm never gonna die, never gonna age like you will," I said, bitterness lacing my tone with my last few words. The surprise on his features made me scoff. He hadn't been stupid enough to think that I would grow old and die one day...He couldn't have been. "Surely you know that vampires are nearly impossible to kill-that we never age? His brow furrowed in confusion and when he spoke, he sounded as if he were speaking to a petulant child, one that was throwing a tantrum over a popsicle. "Of course I know that. I was just surprised about how you seem to sure about my mortality." He smiled a little as he finished the sentence and I arched a brow at him. "As long as we phase, we don't age. When we learn to control our phasing and can completely stop it, then we'll be able to age properly, as a normal human should." I blinked, quiet for a second as my train of thought seemed to freeze. "You...don't age?" He shook his head, his smile turning from amused to gentle. "No, we don't age, not until we want to," he reassured. I had so many more questions, but as I thought about each of them, only one seemed to come to the forefront of my mind. I knew it would probably be breaching a line, considering we had just met...but it was what they had called me, and I felt I had a right to know.

"Jacob...please forgive me if this is a rude question to have pondered-but what is an imprint? Your friend claimed I could not be touched because I was one, and it seems only fair that I know what was implied when the term was used," I said, and his head turned to face me fully, a frown pulling the edges of what was once a smile down, making his expression more troubled than I liked. He seemed to struggle for words and I waited, quiet and appearing patient-yet fearing his answer. Did it mean I was unacceptable? Did this mean that once the battle was over I would have to leave? He owed me nothing and I knew I could survive on my own...but the thought of being without him made me feel as if I had lost something important, something necessary for existence. I was about to open my mouth and speak two and a half seconds later, when he finally began to voice his thoughts. "Imprints are...like soulmates. When a wolf imprints on someone, they are called an imprint and the person who is imprinted on is the person that they are supposed to be with. Because I imprinted on you, none of the pack can touch you. Our highest law is that no imprint is ever harmed." I blinked, crimson meeting darkened brown as I looked up at him, expressionless. "Your soulmate," I said flatly and he swallowed, seeming nervous.

"It doesn't mean that we have to get married today and spend the rest of our lives glued at the hip. It just...it means that in this life, or in an eternal one, we would have found each other eventually; Imprinting just shortens the process," he informed me, rewording the intent of imprinting carefully. My eyes narrowed at him, and I sighed through my nose to show my irritation with the whole concept. "I won't pretend to be thrilled with the idea of imprinting-in my human life, love was more of a far away idea than anything; but I'm willing to give anything a shot, since nothing seems to be normal anymore. What else is there to imprinting? I mean, is there a purpose to it besides finding your one true love like in all of the other Disney fairy tales out there?" He shrugged, picking at blades of grass that surrounded us. "Em says it's to balance out the wolf, like the person is our stabilizer, what makes us not go insane. Being a wolf can be tough, and having someone beside us makes it easier. Not that I would know, butI've heard it a few times," he said, a familiar edge of bitterness in his tone.

I had pulled my knees to my chest with my arms wrapped around them, listening to him as he explained. As he neared the end of his explanation, I could feel the weight resting on his broad shoulders, and knew it was time to take on a different area of discussion. Curiously, and to distract him, I asked, "Who's Em?" He rolled his eyes, and I wondered what he was remembering as he said, "She's Sam's imprint, sort of like the mother of the pack. She's really good with all of us, at calming us down and stuff right after we-uh..." He trailed off and I understood what he had been about to say. _After they hunted vampires_. Of course. "Are there more imprints?" I asked, moving onto the next question. He nodded, still picking at the poor blades of grass. "Yeah. There's Kim and Claire; Kim is ninenteen but Claire is three, so...she probably wouldn't be any better at explaining this than I am." I shared his brief smile before I sighed, scooting closer. "Then don't. If there isn't anything vital about it, besides the fact that we're basically bonded for life, then don't tell me. I'm okay with that. Why don't you tell me about being a...erm, are you a werewolf? Cause it didn't seem like it to me," I said, slightly confused. Werewolves only phased at the full moon and that was a week away.

He shrugged, licking his lips before answering. "Well, that's what most of us call ourselves, but...I don't guess we are. Silver bullets, moon phasing...nah. We phase when we want to and a silver bullet might hurt like a bitch but it wouldn't do much damage. Plus, werewolves are loners and we run in packs. I'd say we're more along the lines of...shape shifters. That's what my dad calls us anyway; Refuses to call us werewolves because it demeans the Quileute heritage or something." I remained quiet, thoughts racing in the silence, and he didn't seem inclined to break it. As it stretched between us, it dawned on me that would soon have to leave, go to where the pack would meet. It was peaceful and easy here; I didn't want to face the reality of the mine field I was about to willlingly walk into. The urge to go with him now made sense, but it didn't make it any less terrifying. These people, although they could not harm me, held a weight in how long it would take me to be accepted. I had no doubt that with Jacob as an Alpha, there would be no attacks...but from past experience, being attacked emotionally was much worse than being physically struck. I sighed lightly, unaware of his stare in the minute I had mulled over this thought and the thousands of possibilities to go with it. I looked up at him, struck by his pure beauty once again, and gave him a small smile.

"We have to go back eventually," he said, and I nodded. "I know. I know they can't really hurt me but...it doesn't make it any less terrifying, you know? Acceptance is still acceptance, no matter who it's from." He nodded, and rose to his feet with a grace I envied. For his size, he didn't move like he should have. Perhaps the easy grace was something the wolf in him had given. I followed, and he gave me what appeared to be a sheepish smile. "Would you like to run this time? Or do you prefer to be carried?" I smiled at him, and said, "As much as I love being carried, I think this will go a lot faster if we both run." He nodded reluctantly, and I cleared my throat. "So...lead the way, wolf boy," I said and he laughed, turning and running smoothly in one motion away from me and into the forest. I paused, watching for the merest second as the muscles in his back moved, intrigued by the movement underneath the bronze skin.

And then, following the strings tugging on my heart, I followed him willingly into another battle field.

The journey to the meeting house didn't take as long as I had thought. I had expected it to take almost fifteen minutes, but we hadn't gone far from it. It had only taken us about five minutes-so we must have had been on the Quileute grounds the entire time I had hunted. How strange. I would have thought they would have felt different somehow...I suppose not, I thought quietly, as we came to the edge of a thinning forest.

A house, tiny and cozy in appearance, was set off into a small section, kind of like it's own little space in the trees; Jacob didn't seem to think twice about moving out of the shaded area of foilage and going towards it. I hesitated, and as if the string from my heart was connected to him, he halted, turning around. "C'mon, Bree. They won't hate you, I promise-okay, they might be a little resentful but they won't be for long," He corrected at the glare I gave him. I was a vampire and he was full of it if he thought they would be all sunshine and rainbows about everything.

He slowly walked towards me, hands going into the pockets of the jean cut offs he wore. He stopped, barely an inch away from me and ducked his head; he knew what he was doing, with his face so close to mine. He knew the scent did something to me, that it clogged some logical part of me that processed decisions. "Please, Bree? They can't get to know you if you never meet them," he pleaded gently and I almost felt my dead heart skip a beat at the look of his eyes glossing over slightly and the slightly hurt tone he was using.

He was an evil, evil boy, and he knew it was working. My brain swirling with the scents he carried, I blinked once at him and sighed, nodding. "Fine. Fine, I'll go and meet them you overgrown mutt," I complained, and he grinned at me, pulling back. He took my hand in his, and pulled me out of the forest and into the yard that was scattered with leaves and grass and a grey sort of sunshine. He walked to the porch, and I knew he could hear the chatter inside like I could-all of it was feminine, and I could smell none of the scents that had pervaded the field earlier. They were discussing something random, probably trying to soothe frayed nerves over the battle.

Oh if they only knew how successful they were...

As he put the first foot on the steps, I tugged on his hand, making him pause. "Jacob, they're not going to tolerate me beig here," I whispered, too low for them to hear, and he rolled his eyes. "They don't have a choice if it comes down to it. You know that. I may not can give a command and they're forced to listen-but I can give a command to ther imprints, and they'll do anything for them. So, bascially, I'm the Alpha and what I say goes; if they don't like it, they can deal with it." I nodded once with a sigh, and his expression softened. "Don't worry, Bree. It's gonna be fine. Now come on. We have a bunch of girls to introduce you to."

As he squeezed my hand, I knew there was no getting out of this. I had to face this and accept it for what it was, like most things that had happened in my life. With the acceptance and determination he acknowledged in my eyes and expression, he moved forward; he went up the steps easily and I followed, gripping his hand tightly-but not tight enough to break it. H walked to the screen door of the house, his footsteps silent as he opened the surprisingly well greased hinges (it looked fragile, as if it had taken one too many angry swings). He ducked his head and stepped into the house, my smuch smaller footsteps following at the same inaudible pace.

Two women and a child were gathered around the table, the child eating cookies and milk and the two women with large mugs infront of them-the bittersweet scent told me it was coffee with too much sugar and creamer. I wondered how long they had stayed up, and as I was contemplating it judging by the bags under one woman's eyes, she looked up, her eyes landing on Jacob. The relief on her face was hard to describe; in that moment, I could sense the bond between the members of the pack. Human or not, they cared deeply for one another. I was merely an intruder, a fault in the system that had obviously run its course many times before. They both stood, the other woman turning to face where one had stared in pure relief.

"Jake, where the hell is everybody? Did everything go okay, how did-what is that?" The younger one, I was guessing it to be Kim, had begun to ask questions, but had cut herself off upon seeing me. Her dark eyes were narrowed in suspicion and caution as she peered at me. "Everything is fine. The boys are doing one last patrol I think, and then they'll be here. And this, Kim, is a person-more accurately my imprint and her **name** is Bree Tanner."

I swallowed at the looks they were giving me, and tried to smile, but it wavered too much. I was absolutely terrified. "I...I'm sorry to intrude upon your hospitality, but Jacob insisted this woudl be the safest place for me until I can return to the Cullen residence. I hope I'm not too much of a bother, being here." The hostile look in Emily's eyes softened-I had barely given the scars on her visage a glance, because she was beautiful, human and warm. She had the chance to grow and have children, and I...

I would have given almost anything to be her. Her lips were a thin line still and her hands were on her hips as she surveyed the protective stance Jacob held as he hovered infront of me. "Well...I can't begrudge Jacob, but that doesn't mean I have to like you. Your kind have caused a lot of trouble and danger for my boys." I nodded, repenant for things I had not done, when Kim interjected, voicing her opinion.

"I don't like her being around Claire. Claire is a baby and she needs to leave." Jacob's growl vibrated in his chest, low and menacing. "She stays on this land, whether in this house or not, Kim. I am Alpha, and whether or not your approval is given, she is my imprint. Claire will be safe; Bree has already fed today on deer. I watched her myself. Do you need any more proof than that? Or is my word and credibility no longer good with you?" Her eyes darted to me, her arms crossed over her chest, and Jacob's eyes darkened in anger.

Gently, I squeezed his hand to calm the tremors rolling through his back. If it had worked once before, it could work again. Like before, his muscles went still and he turned remorseful eyes on me. "Sorry," he murmured, and I gave him a small smile in return. He had nothing to be sorry for. Being near me, he was fighting the instinct to phase alone, and when the pressure of others was added to it... Well, nothing good was going to come of it.

I sighed internally and looked to the two women before me. "Please permit me to stay. Samuel said to come here, and I think it would cause immense dischord for us to be elsewhere." Emily shared a look with Kim, and Kim rolled her eyes, much like a teen to a parent, and moved back to sit in her chair.

"Fine-but stay over there, away from the baby. I don't want you to be too...tempted," she sneered, and Jacob all but convulsed on the spot from the sudden influx of anger. I leaned forward, as if on instinct, and pressed a light kiss to his arm, still gripping his hand as I stood beside him. He calmed, and sighed through his nose with closed eyes. "Kim. Please shut up," Jacob ground out before pulling me out of the eating room and into a side room before I could make much of that sentence.

He pulled me onto a couch that seemed small with his huge form in it, and pulled me instinctively to his side. I didn't resist, guessing he needed the physical comfort after what had happened in such a short time. I was quiet, letting him think things through before I spoke. "Jacob-they don't like me," I whispered, feeling my eyes sting with tears that would never shed. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and sighed as his lips lingered there. "I know. I can't make them like you. Just...give it time, Bree. They just met you. Hell, we just met.

"And what makes you so sure of my character? What makes you so sure of the fact that I'm good?"

I twisted in his grip to look at him, and he seemed to contemplate it. When he answered, his response was sincere."You said it felt wrong to drink human blood. Before that point, I didn't know what to expect from you. I just hoped I would be able to convince you of coming over to the Cullen's diet. When you said that... Bree, it meant that you weren't heartless. Inside of all of that vampire skin, you're still you. Part of you is still human, and that is the part I imprinted on. I know you're a good person, I can be sure of your character, because even though your heart doesn't beat...you have a bigger one than all of us."

I smiled up at him, this one unwavering as I absorbed the undeserved adoration that rested in his gaze. The moment, however short it was, was broken by the sound of loud laughter and whoops of excitement. I swallowed, eyes widening in fear at the sound-because with the sound came the smell. The rest of the pack was here, which meant everything was really over and I would have to talk to Sam and the rest of the pack before going to the Cullen residence for the first time.

I didn't think I could have been more terrified than when I was about to meet Emily, Kim and Claire, but I had been proven wrong. I was even more terrified at the thought of the other seven wolves that were on the other side of the wall that currently separated us from them. Jacob read the terror in my crimson eyes and pulled me tighter to his side. I tried to curl into him, as if his heat would melt the ice on my skin and turn me human; if only I were human, this entire thing would have never been a problem. He rubbed a pattern up and down my arm as I pulled my feet into the couch, trying to curl into a ball and appear as small as possible. The noises were getting louder-did wolves have to be so fast? They could slow down every once in a while...

The screen door opened and I had never felt more like I wanted the earth to swallow me whole.


	5. Chapter 5- Confrontations P 1 (Wolves)

Author's Note:

Okay, apparently the "updating regularly" bit was all a farce. I apologize for this chapter being so late, but I promise I only held off on writing it for a good reason; reasons that are personal and shall not be revealed. Anyway. This chapter was going to be one chapter but...it got a little long. So I split it into two chapters. :) Enjoy reading and send me a review to tell me what you think when you're done and any ideas you may have that you want to see happen in future chapters.

_**Chapter Five: Confrontations Part One—Wolves**_

Reflexively, his arm tightened around me, and I could feel a faint tremor run under his skin, as if he were preparing himself for an attack. I pressed into his side, the ball I was trying to morph into curling tighter; upon feeling the tension, the fear that seemed to pour out of my skin, he purposely relaxed himself. His expression smoothed out, but his eyes told a different story. I could feel the heat radiating from the doorway as the seven wolves piled inside, laughing and smiling. They had yet to remember that a vampire was in their house, and that I was still perceived as a threat. I looked down at the faded and torn jeans I wore, vampiric eyesight seeing the fraying strings more clearly than human eyes ever could. These were strong, temperamental wolves who could phase at a seconds notice; I could clearly recall the one they had named Paul trying to rip my head off-but also ingrained in my memory was how he had seemed to explode into being this large, silver creature that was absolutely terrifying to see. I swallowed, not for necessity but as a lost human reflex that had been taught to me by Riley...to show nerves when being cornered, to make me seem more human before attacking the prey that perceived themselves to be the predator. I watched anxiously, peeking around Jacob and waiting for the tumult of happiness to die down.

He squeezed me to him briefly as a happy outcry of names was said in feminine voices. "Sam, finally! How did it go? Was anyone hurt?" Deeper tones answered the only conversation I was interested in, saying, "Everything's fine, em. No one got hurt...Well, yet." His voice darkened in tone and I frowned, tucking my face into Jacob's side. There was a pause, silence filling the house, and I knew they were testing the air to see if I was here; I could hear the elevated breathing. "When did he get here with the bloodsucker?" He asked quietly, and Jacob swallowed, another tremor running down his spine. I didn't know what it was about them insulting me or implying something untoward about my character; it seemed to ignite a fire hotter than his body temperature inside him. The only thing, ironically enough, that seemed could calm him down, was the source of all of his anger: me. Rather than a physical touch, I murmured into his side, "Jake, calm down." Like a rubber band, his muscles seemed to snap loose from all of their tension and he melted back into the sofa, making me go backwards with him. I didn't mind; he was warm, and warmth was something I had missed in the short time I had been a vampire. I was always cold to the touch. I could see others shiver when I touched them and they weren't immortal.

I hated being cold, hated knowing that I was like ice when heat was what I had craved all of my life, had been surrounded with. I smiled at the memory of the heat of the south, remembering those sunny days where we would go to the river. I could remember the murky details, but one thing was almost crystal clear: the warmth of the sun as it caressed my skin, making everything warm and bright and happy. I sighed, smile fading barely a sixteenth of a second later as I realized my skin would never be that soft, that warm again. But...Jacob's smell, his scent, reminded me of sunshine, of those bright and happy days, and if I really wanted to, I could pretend the heat of his skin was like the sun-warm and all around me. I pushed the thought to the side as I heard the soft, muted pattern of foot falls. Someone was coming into the living room. I held what air I had taken in inside of my lungs and closed my eyes tighter, as if it might dull all of the other senses I had and prolong the moments before I would come face to face with Sam. Jacob's grip tightened as the steps came too close, his muscles tensing again. "Easy," I breathed and he relaxed without a second thought. It was adorable, almost, I thought as I listened, tasted the air with my tongue, how he seemed to listen to everything I said on a basic level when he was the one ordering people around.

It was in that brief moment, before Sam spoke, that I realized what power I held-and I could see why Sam had been so fervent in trying to keep me away from here. I was Jacob's **imprint**. The word held such a heavy meaning now; being an imprint meant so much more than what I had perceived it to be. I had the power to influence him in a way no others could. We were, according to what his tribe believed, soul mates. Weren't soul mates dedicated to one another, willing to do anything for each other to make their lives happy and peaceful? Had I asked Jacob to stand aside while I slaughtered the entire reservation, he would have done it, being under the influence of the imprint. Sam had seen how I could abuse the power I held, having the true Alpha's heart in my hands. Sam may have been the alpha, but no one could undermine Jacob's authority. His words were absolute when using a command. Sam had seen this and Jacob, blinded by the freshness of the imprinting, had not. He had failed to see the bad side in me. I didn't know whether to be happy or feel disturbed by this. I didn't have much time to contemplate how I felt on the matter, because I had no more felt uneasy about the idea than had Sam begun to speak, his deep and soothing voice setting me on edge with its tense tone.

"Jacob, you have brought a monster onto our land. How could you be so foolish as to think you've imprinted on it? This thing is dead. I know what Bella did to you was painful, but that doesn't mean you have to accept the first thing that doesn't know your past with her as an imprint-" He moved, taking me with him because the move was unexpected as a body length tremor shook him. I had yelped in surprise, and his head turned, seeing me still in his grip and looking terrified with wide crimson eyes. The apology in his eyes was so sorrowful that it was hard not to think of him as being nothing more than an innocent little kid. My lips curved at the edges, the smallest smile I had given him yet. He seemed to see it and turned to Sam, the warmth in his eyes freezing as his lips pulled back into a menacing snarl. "Are you finished?" Sam said, an eyebrow raised, and I wondered if he was blind. Did he not see the young man who was tensed to spring and rip out his throat? Jacob looked absolutely lethal-and that meant someone needed to intervene. Licking my lips, I looked directly into Sam's face, speaking in a voice that sounded ever eerie still to my own ears. "Samuel, please, listen to Jacob. Listen, and then give your judgment. If you still feel that I do not belong here after that, then..."

I paused, controlling my expression as a pain ripped through my heart. "Then I will express my gratitude to all of you and take my leave, with or without Jacob's consent. I will not linger where I am not wanted, and I am not naive enough to think that anyone but Jacob has welcomed me with open arms. Being a vampire has made me indestructible, but not stupid." I moved away from Jacob, sliding out of his grip easily as I stepped forward. I slid my hands into my jeans pockets, looking at the floor, taking in the grains of the wood with stinging eyes. "And…Sam, I didn't choose this life. I'm seventeen. I was about to graduate, go to a university, having a future and a life full of change. One where I would have kids and grow old and...And it's not like I just woke up one day and said, "Oh, I want to be a blood sucking creature and go after a girl I don't know and destroy an entire coven that wants to protect her". A month ago, my biggest concern was how to get concert tickets for the summer. I have a family, friends, people who will miss me. I had a life outside of this-and then I was thrown into some army put together by a red haired bitch that clearly had her head up her ass if she thought she would win. But I have been fighting for a solid month, day in and day out, to stay alive. I have been fighting, and I fought today for a side that I never wanted to be on, in a fight I didn't start. And, then..."

I sat down on the couch, running a hand through my hair again. "I ran away. I was a coward, I didn't want to fight and die when it was clear that these monsters straight from the pits of hell came out of nowhere-" Several chuckles came at this and I leaned forward, elbows resting on my knees as my chin rested in my hands. "I ran away, and then..." My eyes glazed over at the memory, perfectly clear; I could feel myself halting in the woods, body tensing as I redirected my route to follow the scent, the mouthwatering scent. It had taken over every thought, had drawn me to it. My nostrils flared slightly as I inhaled, taking in the familiar scent that saturated the room I was in. "And then, as I was running, I smelled something. It was...it's hard to explain. It smelled like...like sunshine. It was like flowers and sunshine and chocolate and all of the sweetest things you could ever imagine, all gathered into one." I looked up at him, a bright smile over taking my face as I remembered the moment. He seemed stunned, as if he didn't expect to see me smile so freely. "I followed it. I didn't care about where I had been going, I followed it because I had to know what had that smell. I ran, followed it to the mountain. It didn't take long before I reached it."

My eyes narrowed, smile fading. I was going to omit details. There was no way I would tell them of the uneasy moments, of the disgust I had seen on his face. "I can't tell you everything, but... I found out what the flower scent was. Then...I wasn't so crazy about it. We had been warned that the girl would smell appetizing, but... You see, I've always been allergic to flowers in my human life and I just never really liked them. So, honestly...I just didn't want to eat her. It wasn't on my to do list. So... I wasn't paying attention to her. I know this is hard to believe, but I was imprinted on by your pack mate, Sam. I felt it. I felt everything freeze, grind to a halt and refocus. I felt everything spin in a new direction, focusing on someone I didn't know from Adam. I was terrified and confused-and I still am, so terribly afraid and confused. The first time, or well the second time I saw one of your pack members... It was when one of them came up and insulted Jacob. Now, I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack, but I could have reacted better. Pinning Paul to a tree wasn't a good idea, in hindsight."

A loud laugh echoed and several others came into the room, eyes bright with curiosity. "You pinned Paul to a tree and didn't get shredded?" One asked, Claire on his hip. I arched an eyebrow. "Of course not. Jacob flung me away like a stick and the other one-" I looked to find him, and he supplied his name, "Seth." "-Seth stepped in front of me and told him he couldn't touch me because I was an imprint. He wasn't happy about it, but he backed off." They looked mildly impressed for some reason, and I ignored it as I pressed on, standing up and moving to face Sam. "Sam, I know Jacob is the true Alpha, but that doesn't make the fact that you have been Alpha any less. Please, please understand that I did not choose this life for me-I didn't choose to be a vampire, but if I have to be...I'd rather be one with someone like Jacob and his pack mates beside me, showing me the same love and support they give him. And I understand-you kill my kind. I know you won't be all rainbows and sunshine. All I'm asking is you give me a chance, a chance to try this new life, a chance to be with this person I just met...a chance to be accepted here." Jacob had been silent, unmoving as his brown eyes followed me, but now he moved behind me to wrap his arms around my waist, pressing a kiss to the top of my head again.

Sam looked between the two of us, contemplative with softened eyes. He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "When you wish to be on the reservation, you will be escorted at all times. You can never be alone, and someone must be with you when you hunt, to assure the safety of the humans both on and off of the rez. You have one chance, blood sucker. One chance and that's it." I smiled wide and bright, gasping as I tore myself out of Jacob's grasp, moving faster than the eye could perceive to hug the man around the waist. "Oh thank you so much, Sam. I-oops, sorry." I backed away quickly, realizing my mistake too late. He had tensed immediately at the contact and I recoiled back into Jacob's grip, smiling sheepishly. "Er, sorry. Didn't think about that..." I trailed off uncertainly and he rolled his eyes, simply walking off and back into the kitchen where he asked what there was going to be for the next meal. I shifted uncertainly as the rest remained, looking at me curiously-all of them except one. I sighed lightly at the murderous look in Paul's eyes, and said, "You know I only did that because you insulted him. I had every right to defend him. I won't apologize for that, Paul." His arms had crossed over his chest too, in a defensive stance.

"I'd like to see your boy toy go against me, Popsicle," he smirked and I rolled my eyes, intending to look at the ceiling and instead seeing Jacob, who now looked eerily calm... And that was when his nickname for me had clicked. My lips pressed together to hide the smile and the laughter threatening to erupt. Jacob looked down, curious as he peered at me, trying to decipher what was going on with me. I couldn't help but let out a giggle at his confused expression-and then I was laughing, open and bell like in a room full of confused wolves. "S-s-sorry..." I managed to get out, seeing the perplexed looks of the people around me. "He c-called me a Popsicle..." I snorted, continuing to giggle, and several light laughs were heard. I opened my eyes, glazed over and uncomfortable but not unbearable with the joy behind it, and saw Seth smiling at me. Well, Jacob wasn't the only person who had accepted me with open arms, and maybe, just maybe, this meant that all of them would one day accept me too. Maybe it was a far off idea, a concept that I should only dare to hope for in the corners of my heart, where no one could see...

Still, the acceptance and laughter in his eyes made me hope far, far too much.

JB-JB-JB-JB-JB

Fifteen long minutes later, I was seated on the sofa beside Jacob once again, with Seth on my other side and eleven pairs of dark eyes watching me intently.

It had seemed that as much as they hated the idea of a vampire existing, they didn't know much about what a life for a vampire was like. They didn't know anything about how a vampire perceived things, or what attracted us to our prey. The first question they asked was what the change felt like, and I was still struggling to answer it. Jacob's arm remained curled around me and I sighed mentally, licking my lips before answering in a gentle, tinkling voice. "It's...It's hard to describe. It's...fire and heat and pain. It feels like every molecule of you is burning, like there's a fire scorching every vein in your body and there's no escape. It's so much heat, too much..." I glanced towards the baby, cautious of the words I said, not wanting to scar the child mentally. "And when you wake up from it... It's like you can see _**everything**_. But it doesn't matter if you can see everything within five miles, because the fire that burned you is in your throat. The burn, the need for blood never goes away. Right now, even though I have fed, I still feel the burn." I paused, looking around at the somewhat disgusted expressions around me. "You asked me what it's like-I was not going to lie. And if you must know, it is not the taste or the smell of blood we crave."

I wrinkled my nose, remembering how I had nearly gagged in my first kill. "Blood is wet, blood is warm-and it dulls the ache of the fire. It sates the burning until it becomes too much and we must hunt again. Perhaps there are those who desire the taste-but I am not one of them; I drink only to keep myself alive, not because I want to." Silence greeted my words, and I was tempted to hide my face in Jacob's side. A small part of me, however, said clearly that doing so would only make them think of me as weak; I didn't want that. I glanced around the room with ruby eyes-and it was the little girl, at the age of three, who broke the silence. "Why her have red eyes, Qwuiw?" Her scent, warm and strong in the room full of werewolves, wafted across my nose as she spoke and my eyes darkened to maroon. I could see the color change in the reflection of the little girl's eyes. Even though my eyes darkened, my posture remained still as I leaned against Jacob. I swallowed, the burning in my throat tingling hotter at the fresh scent; I didn't like it, but that didn't mean I didn't respond to it. My mouth watered with venom and I swallowed it carefully, eyes still on the small child. No one answered, all eyes on me and my response.

After the silence had its run, I gave a small smile. "That's a good question, Claire. Have you ever seen someone who wears glasses?" She nodded, her little dark curls bouncing as she did so. "Well, I have to wear a special kind of glasses. These go right under my eyelid and make my eyes look red-but really, my eyes are blue. I have to wear them all the time so I can see and I can never, ever take them out or my eyes will hurt really badly." The brief tenseness in Jacob's muscles melted and he smiled down at me. She seemed to accept it and went to playing with her Barbie without another word on the subject. I had the experience with talking with kids, bribing them into doing things or making them believe something that could never, ever, be true in a million years. I had lots of cousins and friends who had had siblings, and I had always been the one they would come to for advice on what to do. Quil, the one who held her, seemed to be grateful, and I smiled faintly at him. The sound of a telephone ringing cut through the air, and I frowned, wondering who it could be-before I remembered that the Cullens had said they would notify us of when we would be able to come back over to their residence. Sam stood, moving lithely to answer the phone in his deep baritone.

"Cullen." A smooth, lyrical voice answered-the voice of the leader. "She is safe; Alice has seen their journey and they won't be returning any time soon. We've told them about Bree's... Unfortunate roping into the army and that we have accepted her as one of our clan because she vowed to turn to our lifestyle, our way of feeding. They granted pardon on the condition that she does not bite another human soul for as long as she is here. Send her over when you see fit to return her." Sam ended the call as politely as he could, and when he stepped through the doorway, he gave me a curt nod before looking at Jacob and saying calmly. "She can leave now. I think it's best you take her and leave her there; we have some things to discuss here." Jacob heaved a sigh, and stood. I moved with him, thinking that he was going to leave and take me to the Cullens. "Fair enough...See ya in a bit." Taking my hand in his, he pulled me out of the room before the human eye could get in a proper blink; I barely managed to get him to stop after we had gotten to the edge of the driveway by tugging on his upper arm with the free hand I had. He looked down at me, chocolate eyes curious, and I hesitated for one brief second before asking, "Um…Could you carry me this time?" My voice, tinkling like bells once again and creating its own melody, sounded timid and unsure-as if the request were life changing.

He simply smiled another warm, dazzling smile before I was swept into his embrace again, bridal style. The undignified squeak was unnecessary-but so was the laughter I heard under his breath and from the house, as if they were listening, as if they could see us. Without a word, he took off in to the woods once again, and I rested my head on his chest, relaxing into the warmth once again. I would never get tired of the warmth he emanated. I would never get sick of feeling the heat; it made me feel safe, reminded me of the life I had once had; maybe his life wasn't a life I would have chosen for myself. And maybe all of these changes were sudden and confusing, yanking me in a million different directions…but, maybe with Jacob, soul mate or not, it wouldn't be so bad. He was heat, he was warmth-and for some reason, he seemed to want to smile whenever he spoke to me or looked at me. He, of all of the people I had met today, hadn't said an unkind word to me. He didn't hate me. Maybe that was because I was his imprint-but the idea of an imprint wasn't as unbearable as it had first seemed. Jacob was sweet; he didn't have any ill intentions and I couldn't fault him for what his genetics made him do. He couldn't control imprinting, was my guess-it was just something that happened, something instinctual within the wolf they became.

He had to fall for the person the imprinting chose-even if it was a mythical creature who could snap his neck in two seconds flat. I closed my eyes, ruby red hidden behind pale eyelids, and swallowed, the venom having gathered in my mouth again. It was as the trees began to thin that something occurred to me rather belatedly.

I was walking willingly into a house with no less than seven vampires; all who had stood in a united front to protect the human I had created to destroy.

Well, this should be fun.


	6. Chapter 6-confrontations Pt 2 (Vampires)

**Author's note:**

**So. This chapter was a bitch to write; however, I had nothing better to do on a Sunday and this was the result. Yay for quicker updates! I have more ideas for this story though, and I intend to get them out; I hope you like the story so far. Enjoy this installment :) Read and review, please!**

**Also, there will be another note at the bottom. I would explain it in this one, but I don't want to give anything away :)**

_**Chapter Six-Confrontation Part 2-Vampires**_

Perhaps, when one became immortal, things like time became irrelevant; to me, as we sped through the forest, it seemed as though time had caught on to the fact and was racing to catch up to speed with me as penance for not noticing it's passing.

Jacob's gait was smooth-and even if I would have been jostled, I was indestructible. Well, almost indestructible, but it still wouldn't have hurt me. I swallowed, mostly to contain the venom that seemed to be in abundance around Jacob, but half way due to the nerves coursing through me. I didn't realize it, but as Jacob leapt over a fallen tree, a slight whimper escaped-I had remembered the largest one of the Cullens coven, the one who looked like he could wrestle a grizzly, and Jacob stopped cold. His gaze was riveted on me and I bit my lower lip, looking away, feeling terrified but scared to let him know-either he would laugh at me or react violently. His responses to wayward comments about my character had nearly resulted in violence and should I voice that I felt threatened…well, I didn't want to know the consequences of that. I'd rather stay in the dark. But I made a crucial mistake-I looked up, unable to abstain from looking at him for too long, and saw the pain in his eyes. He seemed torn, like he wanted to help but was bound with invisible chains. He looked like he was being tortured. I wished I could cry, could release tears and relieve the aching in my chest that had seemed to set in since the transformation. But I couldn't, and settled for pressing my face into the skin I rested against, feeling the heat and relishing in it, letting it burn off some of the dead weight inside of me, where my heart should have been pumping, giving me life. I didn't notice him shifting positions, too absorbed in mourning the loss of my human life.

He was sitting, still holding me bridal style in his lap, and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "What is it Bree? What's wrong?" For a second, I was distracted by the kiss, but reality crashed around me as he spoke. "Seven," I murmured into his skin, "Seven of them and they were all protecting the person I was created to destroy. They're going to rip me into pieces and burn me; they're going to burn me and laugh. Oh, I can't-I can't do this, I can't go in there and-I can't-" Pale as silver moonlight arms wrapped around his neck, bright against his bronze skin as I wailed, having trouble breathing-not that I needed it, but it was a knee-jerk reaction, another human reflex taught to me once again by Riley. My face tucked into his neck, he rocked me back and forth gently; trying to soothe me out of the breakdown I was having. "It's gonna be okay, Bree. It's gonna be okay, I promise. The Cullens-" He seemed to choke on his words before he continued. "Are good people. They've never bitten anyone; they're peaceful. But if it makes you feel better, I'll stay. Sam can wait a bit for me to get back. It won't kill him to wait for me." Slowly, as he spoke, my breathing evened out, and I sniffled against his neck, "Promise?" I whispered and could swear I heard his lips twitching. "Promise, Bree." It was quiet for another long moment before he stood, saying. "You think you're ready to go now? Or do you need a few more minutes?" My voice wavered, my inhale shaky before I said, "Walk?" He seemed to understand what I was implying, and set off at an easy, normal human walking pace.

After forty-seven of his heart beats, I spoke up. "Can you tell me about them? The Cullens?" He chewed on his bottom lip for a second before nodding, relenting. "I don't know a lot, but I'll tell you what Bella told me. The leader-the oldest blonde one-is named Carlisle. His partner's name is Esme and they're the leaders of the coven. Sort of like the mother and father, weirdly enough. The blonde girl's name is Rosalie and the big one-the one who looks like a body builder-his name is Emmett. The short one who looks like a pixie is Alice and the other blonde guy is Jasper. The one who was with Bella is Edward and they're pretty much paired together like that-Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, Edward and Bella. They all act like a family and the "younger ones" go to high school in Forks. They aren't allowed on our land due to a treaty they signed with our ancestors-or, well, my grandfather, Ephraim Black. They stay on their land and we stay on ours; the only exception is if they bite a human. If one human life is lost because of them, we attack." I shivered at the thought of those wolves attacking them. It would be hell-and they would be outnumbered. I asked a question though, one that seemed to click as soon as he paused in speaking. "So they've been here before? And they came back?" He shrugged his shoulders, answering, "Yeah, the first time was when the treaty was made with my grandfather. This place is apparently perfect for them for some reason and they like living here-not sure why though with the pack here, constantly watching them."

I had an idea of why, but I wasn't going to voice it. I also wanted to ask about Bella, but I knew it wouldn't be a good idea to do that so soon. So, instead, I asked something else. "How does the pack work, exactly? I mean, I get why you're terrifying-but how do you communicate? You're wolves. Unless you can speak like humans, which I really don't think you can-"He interrupted me as we went down a small slope. "Wolf telepathy. Our minds are connected and we can hear each other's thoughts. Irritating when we don't want others to see what we're thinking, but it's useful for coordinating. And, really, we know each other better than most people because of the telepathy. Nothing gets hidden. Ever." For a brief second, I felt sorry for him-but I understood. When something worked, it worked and there was no reason to fix it. It was quiet as he continued to walk towards the Cullen's house and I wished, for just a brief moment, that the walk didn't have to end….but in order for me to be able to stay and for the other vampires (apparently called the Volturi) not to kill me, I had to get through this. I had to do this-had to make peace with the people who I had gone to war with without knowing why. I would have to appease them, let them know that I had never intended to kill Bella. I had ever wanted to kill anyone at all. I hated killing humans; to me, drinking an animal's blood was so much easier than the alternative. The alternative, had my stomach been able to feel queasy, would have made me throw up. I hated blood in my human life; I really had, which was why it was a struggle to feed off of humans or animals even now.

"You know," Jacob began; his tone was strangely light, as if he were trying to lessen the effect of what he was about to say as he continued, "You haven't met my dad yet. Would you be up for that tomorrow? You could go down to the Rez and get a break from all of the popsicles over here and meet him. I bet he'd love you." I looked up at him, my expression dead panned as I said, "Really? So your dad, the one who's the father of a boy who can change into a horse sized wolf just for the purpose of killing creatures like me is going to meet me and love me, even though I'm a vampire? Yes, I can see how he'll be over the moon about it, Jacob." He rolled his eyes, sighing as he responded, "Look, gloom and doom, I was trying to be nice about it. For some reason, you seem to be afraid of humans not liking you-which is ridiculous, by the way-and I was trying to make it seem more inviting than it is. If I would have said "Hey, wanna meet my dad tomorrow?" you would have had another panic attack because you'd be afraid he would judge you and not want me to be with you. Right?" Well, damn. He was right. I glared at him halfheartedly, resting my head against him. He was silent for a moment, and then he spoke tentatively. "You…you don't have to, you know. Go see him. It's fine if you don't want to…" Aaaand this was why I thought he knew the power he held over me. Who could deny a voice that sounded that timid and beautiful at the same time? Closing my eyes and sighing through my nose to express my irritation, I tilted my head to look up at him, saying in a tired voice, "I hate you."

He was startled, looking down at me with big brown eyes that were shocked and hurt. I rolled my eyes. "Ease up, I was kidding. I don't hate you-can I call you Jake? Jacob just sounds so...Formal." He nodded, smiling down at me. Sheesh. Did he ever have an in between? He seemed almost bipolar with his mood swings-either a million megawatts or a hurt puppy look. The kid seriously had issues. The forest passed by slowly as I contemplated what to say-and it was as I decided that Edward would be able to read my mind anyway so the point of preparing a speech was moot, I saw the light of a small clearing. "Here we go," Jacob muttered, breaking through the tree line a moment later. He came to a gentle stop, grip loosening on me enough that I could land on the ground with both feet. I looked to Jacob, who was again observing me carefully, probably expecting another breakdown like before…but one was all I needed. I did feel better since I had let a little bit of the stress go. Getting the weight off of my chest had been a good idea-not that it had been one I actively pursued, but it ended up being good for me in the end. I focused on Jacob again as he inhaled sharply, as if bracing himself, and said, "It's gonna be fine, Bree. They won't hurt you. As long as you won't want to hurt Bella, things will be okay." "Not a problem," I muttered, earning a chuckle from him a second before he wrapped his arms around me. "I know-and the mind reader will see that and you won't be harmed-but just in case, I'm going to stay there for just a bit and then I'm gonna go back to the pack, since apparently we have things to discuss."

I gave him a small smile and he seemed to see through it. He leaned forward and I tensed on instinct; he didn't seem bothered. For the briefest second, my senses enhanced as I feared he was trying to get me in his grip to crush me like the newborns did when we were in Seattle-he could probably do that, I reasoned, with him being part supernatural creature too-but then relaxed, remembering that I was his imprint. He would never do anything to hurt me intentionally; that wasn't to say it couldn't happen, but it would be highly unlikely. It seemed like forever before he released me, but I couldn't find it in me to care. Him being near, his warmth and his smile seemed to ease the ache in my chest just a little bit more every time I saw and felt it. He smiled down at me, this one closed lipped but still just a beautiful in its tenseness. "Let's go. No time like the present," he said, lacing his fingers through mine-the contrast like a flame against ice. It was odd, but it worked. It was just enough of a contrast that the two of us seemed to meld together seamlessly. He pulled me forward, my steps reluctant as we neared the front door of the Cullen house hold. We didn't need to knock on the door; the other blonde male (Jasper, I recalled Jacob naming him) was waiting for us. "Cullen," Jacob acknowledged stiffly. Jasper smiled a crooked smile, his accent still sugary sweet. "Pup," he likewise acknowledged and my eyes narrowed, irritation rising at the jest. "Bella is inside. I was sent to-ah, forewarn you of the consequences should you attack her."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "She's in no danger. Believe me, she has the least appetizing smell I've ever smelled," I said and he looked briefly surprised then nodded. "Very well. Follow me." He went into the house and we followed, me leading this time. As Jacob stepped in, he coughed-a sound that was vaguely like retching. I turned, looking at him in concern. "Are you okay?" He nodded, his eyes watery. "This place reeks. No offense, but vampires…they stink. It's this sickly sweet smell and it's horrible." I nodded slowly, saying, "So…I stink to you?" He shook his head, distracted from the smell by my question. "No. Strangely enough, you don't stink. Just they do." Tightening my fingers around his briefly, I turned and followed Jasper, whose curious golden gaze had observed us as we had conversed. It didn't take more than a second to get up the stairs and to the room that was obviously the living room. I wished it had taken longer though, to give me more time to prepare for the image of the vampires waiting for me. It was still hard for me to imagine that I was a part of this group of people-that my skin was cold and hard, that I would never age and I would always need to drink blood to survive. It was hard to imagine that these cold skinned creatures with golden eyes would be what I would soon become-a golden eyed statue that people would marvel at. I would be the one people would shy away from and stare at from afar. I could see the future and all of the possibilities that it entailed with the offer of the new life ahead of me; a life of hope rather than despair.

With this thought, I stepped forward into the room and was greeted with the sight of six pairs of golden eyes and one brown, all trained on me

JB-JB-JB-JB-JB

Silence, I discovered, treats everyone equally-and can be awkward no matter what kind of creature, no matter what species you are. This was why when I stepped into the room, the silence that pervaded it made me shift from foot to foot, made me stare at my shoes in nervousness.

"Hello, Bree. It seems Sam let you go sooner than I imagined," a smooth voice, like golden honey, said. I looked up. Ruby met gold and I was seeing the doctor clearly for the first time. So this was Carlisle-Blonde hair and golden eyes, a soft voice and apparently a compassionate heart. I gave him a small, hesitant smile. "Well, he wasn't exactly eager to keep me," I said quietly and the doctor nodded, something like understanding in his expression. He sighed, stepping forward with this hands clasped behind his back. "Let's get to business then. You have agreed to live by our terms or risk termination, correct?" I nodded, taking a step back and sinking into Jacob. His heat was familiar, a new and welcome constant in this terrifying day I'd had. "The rules we live by are much like the Volturi; the only rule we hold with the same importance is that our kind is kept a secret from humans. The exception with our family is that we try to blend in with society, rather than hide from it. We never, under any circumstances, drink blood from a human-only blood from animals. We hunt locally, on our land and on the Quileute Reservation with permission. Your eyes will be like ours within a few months, depending on how much you feed; that will be left up to you." He paused, coming forward another few steps. "Perhaps it was assuming of me, to guess that you would like to live here in Forks with us, that you would like to be with our family. Do you wish to stay with us? We won't hold you if you don't wish to be here." I didn't have to think about that. I knew the answer to that easily.

I shook my head, voice coming out soft. "I want to be here. I won't leave," I said, and swore I could see Edward rolling his ocher colored eyes at me. A tremor rippled through Jacob and I reached behind me, gently grabbing his wrist. The tremors stopped and Carlisle continued as if he hadn't even noticed it happening. I doubted that. "That complicates things a little less. Have you already fed today? You had promised the pack that you would feed before going to the Reservation, but one of us can take you for another trip if you think it's necessary." I shook my head again, thumb running gentle circles on the inside of Jacob's wrist to keep him calm. "I hunted, as I promised. I don't think another trip will be necessary for today though." "Perhaps you should, just to be safe," a southern accent intoned and I rolled my eyes. "And perhaps you should mind your own business, Jasper," I griped, turning to him. "How many times do I have to tell you before you believe it? **She smells horrible to me. I do not want to eat a girl that smells like a flower.** I don't need extra blood to "keep me from temptation" because **there is none**." He smirked at the reaction he had gotten-but the violent irritation that was in me and had flared so suddenly was gone as Jacob threaded his fingers through mine, grounding me instantly and reminding me to keep calm. I leaned into his side, facing Carlisle once again, and apologized. "Forgive me-no one seems to believe me when I tell them that Bella has no appeal to me. No offense meant, but she really just doesn't."

He gave me an easy smile once again. "Well then. Welcome to the Cullen Family. Perhaps you'd like a change of clothes? I'm sure Alice has something she can give you," he said amicably. The shortest one danced forward, and I was startled to see we were the same height. Was I really that short? Huh. That wasn't fair, I mentally complained as she grabbed my wrist. "You're going to love-oh, let go, wolf. I'm not gonna bite her. I just want to give her better clothes." Another tremor rippled through Jacob and I looked at him, raising an eyebrow and squeezing his fingers. "It's fine. Relax. I'm gonna be right back-or you can go back to Sam and the others if you want. It sounded kinda important." He frowned, tugging me back to him and into what felt like a gentle fire. I was almost used to his heat now; it wasn't as strong as before. He hugged me tight, pressing a kiss to the top of my head, murmuring, "Don't want to." I snorted lightly. "But you've got to. Go. I'll be fine. I'll get cleaned up and get things sorted out here and you can come back tomorrow." I looked up at him and he understood what I meant; I would get cleaned up and mentally prepare myself for meeting his father tomorrow. His lips pressed in a thin line before he sighed. "Fine. I'm going, I'm going. I can see I'm not wanted." I rolled my eyes as he moved to the stairs. "Stop being dramatic Jacob. It's only twelve hours," I said, Alice's grip on my hand tightening as she dragged me away. She was muttering under her breath about something that sounded like "wolf stench", but I really didn't care.

It felt, oddly enough, like a piece of me had left with Jacob. Maybe that was a part of the imprinting? Alice had pulled me into a bedroom, one that was a light purple color, and walked to a closet. She was also talking a hundred miles per hour. "So, what's your preference? I know you're wearing jeans and a tee, but that can't be how you dressed when you were at home. I imagine you acquired those…after you were changed, correct?" I nodded, and even though she didn't see me, she continued. "Well, regardless of your preference, you're going to need to bathe. You have moss in your hair, and I don't like the thought of that ruining some of these silk materials. So, go in the bathroom-it's the door beside the head of the bed-and get a bath. I'll have some outfits waiting for you when you get back." I stood, following her orders, and moved for the bathroom. I opened the door, expecting a normal bathroom. That wasn't what I got, wasn't what I should have expected. The bathroom was huge, with a long counter and a tub that could have been a small pool. Looking around, I felt a little lost. I didn't know what I was allowed to touch and what I wasn't-and just as I contemplated going back to ask Alice, the bathroom door opened and she skipped in. wordlessly, she set the water for the tub and gathered a few things off of the counter, setting them near the edge. "Here's all you'll need. Scrub off that pond smell and wash your hair. There's a towel by the bath tub." I nodded silently and again followed her orders, slowly taking the clothes off I had worn for who knows how long.

Really, how had Jacob been able to stand the smell? Imprinting must have been more powerful than I'd thought. I pulled the shirt over my head, folding it neatly and putting it on the counter before stripping off the rest of my clothes. I grabbed the bathing supplies Alice had given me and after putting them beside the tub, stepped in, the water coming to my ankles already. I could feel the water, and knew the temperature must have been warm-yet it was nothing compared to the fire that seemed to be just under Jacob's skin. Absentmindedly, I grabbed the soap and a wash cloth and began to bathe as Alice had instructed, mulling over things that would happen both today and tomorrow. Today, obviously, would be a day to get to know the Cullens. I would need them to feel more at ease around me, though I knew it would take time. A lot of time, given the reason for my existence. The water had risen to my waist by the time I came back to reality and I slid my body down into the water, wetting my hair and getting all of the moss and leaves out of it. I washed it with the shampoo Alice had chosen-and I almost laughed when I recognized the scent. Freesia scented shampoo. Well, someone was a little bitter weren't they? It didn't take long, and by the time the tub was up to midway of my upper arm, I was done. I turned off the water, resting my back against the cool porcelain that held the water as my thoughts continued to swirl. I was startled when Alice's voice broke through my reverie on what I would do for the rest of the day with Jacob gone.

It was strange, how everything suddenly seemed so empty without him…

As if nothing made sense without him around.

I pursed my lips contemplatively, picking the dirt out from under my fingernails until they were clean, ignoring Alice's demands to hurry up. She could wait. It wasn't like she would get old. I could talk to the Cullens, no matter how awkward it would be; but even more terrifying would be the thought of talking to Bella… although, at this point, why the hell not? It only seemed fair for me to talk to her and apologize to her for….for what? Being created to kill her? Well, it sounded strange, but it would be what I was apologizing for if I did it. When my nails and toes were clean, as was the rest of me, I stood, wringing out my hair in the tub and unplugging the drain. I toweled off as quickly as I could, drying my hair a little more carefully than I would have had I been human. I thought Alice might appreciate water not getting on "her materials". Seriously, were they that sacred? I rolled my eyes. Probably not. She was probably just one of those people who were touchy about her things, one of those people who were a general in a past life or something. I grinned at the thought of someone as small as Alice being an officer in the military as I sat the bath things back on the counter and the wet wash cloth in the sink. It wasn't like she ever needed to wash her hands anyway. She could avoid messes. I wrapped the towel a little tighter around me, walking out of the bathroom and into what appeared to be a war zone of designer clothes, Alice flitting around the room and looking every bit the distressed pixie. I was mildly amused-until she saw me.

When she did, she seemed to zero in on me for a moment before growling in frustration. "Why can't I see?" she hissed, looking pissed off and less distressed by the second. I blinked, not sure of what she was talking about. She seemed to sense it and rolled her eyes. "I can see the future-I have premonitions, and every time I look to tomorrow, I can't see what you're wearing!" Hmmm. That was interesting. "Well, I was planning on going to the Reservation tomorrow, so it would need to be practical…" I trailed off and she hissed under her breath, a stream of curses coming out. "Of course, the stupid mutt would do this-that's why I can't see you. I can't see the wolves, and every time you plan on being with Jacob, I can't see you," she explained, standing straight and smoothing out the shirt she was wearing. I took a slow breath to stifle the irritation rising in my throat, much like bile, and said calmly, "Alice?" She glanced at me while she was busy hanging things, humming in response. In the time it had taken me to get my composure together, half of the clothes were back I the closet. "Could you please stop insulting Jacob?" She paused in what she was doing to stare at me for a moment before pointedly ignoring to request and saying, "You have three suits on the bed. Pick one." I rolled my eyes. "Or you could just tell me which one I end up picking, since you can see the future." She smiled at me and said, "The middle one." I looked, almost involuntarily, towards the bed, and wrinkled my nose at the sight of the dress and heels that were on top of it.

"What color were your eyes when you were human?" She asked and I looked up to see her closing the closet doors. "Blue. Why?" She rolled her eyes as she turned around. "If you're going to be in public, you're going to need contacts. I thought a color closer to the ones you had when you were human would be preferable. Would you like a different color?" I shook my head, saying, "Blue is fine. It doesn't really make a difference to me-but if blue is what you choose, then blue is fine." Slowly, I inched towards the dress-and as I reached out to touch the silky material, undergarments were thrown on top of it. I yelped, startled, and Alice giggled. "You're going to need those too, silly." Cautiously, I picked them up, but refused to drop the towel, looking up pointedly at Alice. She rolled her eyes, exiting the room and calling out, "You have five minutes, Breanna!" I blanked for a second, not expecting her to call me by my full name. Breanna Tanner, the girl who had been turned vampire….the girl who couldn't seem to get it together even when she was made immortal. I had to say, I preferred Bree. I slipped on the undergarments and picked up the dress, wrinkling my nose as I looked at the blue fabric. Had Alice had some sort of intuition about what my eyes would look like? Probably-and she had most likely just asked out of courtesy to me; if she had showed up with blue contacts, she probably would have been able to see how weirded out I would have been by her guessing my eye color. With one last sigh, I slid the dress on, it easy since it had no zipper.

Alice opened the door no less than a second after, pulling me back into the bathroom. The tub was still draining; I imagined we would be done in here before it finished. Alice was plugging things up and moving things around and I wondered if there was method to her madness before deciding I didn't care. She could do whatever she like as long as she didn't put makeup on me. She flung the wet wash cloth into the tub and it twirled in the quickly cooling water as the tub continued to empty itself; she pushed me gently into a pink char and ordered me to sit straighter. "A vampire with bad posture; I've seen everything…" She was muttering under her breath as she pulled a brush through my damp hair and then picked up a blow dryer. When she was done, the tub was almost empty-but then she did something I didn't expect. I had expected her, given everything I'd seen of her so far, to do my hair into some elaborate hair do. Well, she surprised me. She pulled my hair into a simple French braid, with a few loose strands to frame my face. All in all, I had to admit, it didn't look half bad. Even with the pale skin and blood red eyes, it didn't seem as bad as I had expected it to be. Alice smiled smugly at me, as if she could sense it, and said, "Now all you have to do is put on the heels." I groaned, standing, and she rolled her eyes, pushing me out of the bathroom with a hand on the small of my back.

I walked to the room, grudgingly pulling on the blue heels that matched the dress-and it wouldn't have been so bad if the heels weren't so damn _**high**_. I wasn't that short, was I? I hadn't thought I was…Apparently, I had been delusional. "Were your ears pierced as a human?" Alice's question made me close my eyes, wondering is this would mean more torture. "If I said no, would you believe me?" She rolled her eyes, opening a jewelry box on top of her dresser. This was going to be fun… "Three holes in the left, four holes in the right; three pairs and one cartilage piercing-do I wanna know why?" Alice skipped over to me, placing earring in the holes as if it were nothing to be so close to me, invading my right to have a three foot bubble around me. "Give me a second to get the contacts. If you're gonna wear them tomorrow, you need to get used to them now. And while you're still here for the day, you can practice acting human." She flitted out of the room after putting the last one in and three seconds later came back, explaining as she took them out of the box. "These are going to be uncomfortable, but they're going o make you look normal. It's annoying because they'll cloud your vision, but necessary if you don't want people running away, shrieking in terror." I gave her a wry smiled as she put them in for me, assuming I didn't know how to put them in. Well, let her have her fun. I would sic Jacob and the pack on her later for torturing me….Well, most likely just Jacob, since the rest of the pack still thought I was going to slaughter both Forks and the Reservation.

Alice danced away from me again and put the contacts on her dresser, closing the jewelry box. "Now-let me look at you," she beamed and I gave her a quizzical look-my eyes unfocused slightly, seeing the scratches and the slightly warped sections on the contacts but I could see she still looked pleased. She squealed, clapping her hands before bounding over, grabbing my wrist, and pulling me out of the room. She pulled me down the flight of stairs that led back to the living room, all but dancing as she led me there. The vampires and Bella were still waiting, but they all seemed preoccupied now. The TV was on, the volume low but clear to all of the vampiric ears in the house-I had heard it even upstairs and knew they were watching a baseball game-and they seemed to be absorbed in other activities. The largest one, Emmett, was absorbed in the game, along with Jasper. Carlisle and Esme were playing a game of chess and Edward was sitting at the piano, playing a gentle tune as Bella watched him, nothing short of wonder in her eyes. Rosalie, the blonde woman, was nowhere to be seen. Carlisle's attention shifted, his gaze landing on Alice and I as she paused at the entrance to the living room. A brilliant smile formed on his face as he stood. "Alice, you did amazing. Bree, you look wonderful," he complimented and Esme stood with him, her golden eyes soft as she looked at me. "Doesn't she always do amazing?" Emmett grunted and my attention shifted to him, fear flitting through me with a visceral intensity before a wave of calm washed over me.

"Ignore him; come sit with us. We have some things to cover, I think." Alice dragged me forward yet again and I wondered if she thought I was an invalid; she must have, leading me around like I was blind. "We heard you planned on going over tot the reservation tomorrow with Jacob. If you're going to go there, you need to learn to act a little bit more…human," Esme said; her voice gentle as she observed my expression. I nodded to show her I was following and Carlisle took up where she left off. "The posture vampires have is too straight; humans don't sit like that. You need to slouch just a bit." Esme nodded, silently agreeing with him and my body bent forward slightly as if commanded by his suggestion. Edward surprised me, speaking up from where he sat at the piano. I had noticed he had stopped, but didn't want to assume he was observing me. It would have been arrogant…and I was nothing if not frightened of all of these vampires. "It helps to control your thirst if you don't breathe; you won't need to, but you need to move your shoulders to make it look like your breathing." I could imitate breathing-right? I watched him, and mimicked his movements; he smiled a crooked, happy smile when he saw me getting it. "Can you walk at a human pace?" A brief but vivid memory of Jacob's loping grace in the woods flashed back to me and I hesitated at the question Carlisle presented to me. "Maybe?" Looking briefly contemplative, he said, "Walk to Bella. See if you can take it at a normal pace." I swallowed, looking at Bella and Edward-it was the first time I had seen her up close.

She really was quite pretty-a heart shaped face, chocolate eyes, pink cheeks and dark brown hair. She looked sweet-Edward looked tense. Slowly, I stood and straightened out the dress. I took it one step at a time and every eye was trained on me. Whether to see if I could walk or to see if I would attack Bella, I wasn't sure. Either way, I didn't want them to be inclined towards the latter. When I finally reached the piano, I rested a hand on it gently, giving Bella a small smile. The answering smile she gave me wavered-so she was nervous. She shouldn't have been; the smell that rolled off of her was revolting and I wondered how much longer I could stand it-and then I remembered about breathing. I held my breath, moving my shoulder and Edward grinned. It had become more bearable, if not a little uncomfortable to not be able to taste the air. Still, it was better than smelling- "You really can't stand how she smells, can you?" He sounded incredulous, and I rolled my eyes. "That's what I've been saying all along," I muttered and he laughed. "I thought you were joking-but you may be the only vampire alive who isn't tempted by her scent," he said, sounding genuinely amused. "Yay," I cheered sarcastically and Bella's lips twitched. To show how comfortable I was with the idea of being around her, I held out a hand, nails still clean from where I had taken extra care on them to avoid Alice. "It's nice to meet you Bella. I'm Bree-and I'm also sorry we had to meet under these circumstances." She reached out, her hand warm against mine as she shook it, and Alice sighed, a sound of relief.

Bella didn't say a word, but she looked a little more at ease. That could have been due to Jasper, since he had the ability to influence other's emotions, but I was going to count it as a win. Tensions in the room seemed to ease with Bella's semi-acceptance of me, and it left me to contemplate the future; thinking of all I had to learn ahead of me and the battle I was going to face tomorrow with meeting Jacob's father, I wished all of my battles could be this easy-as simple as walking and offering a hand to shake as a gesture of peace. But this battle…. This one would be much tougher than offering a hand shake. I would be meeting the father of the boy who had saved my life more than once. Did the idea absolutely terrify me beyond words? To be honest, yes, but it would do no good to worry over all of the bad things that could happen, like him telling me to leave, to never return to the land his ancestors had fought to keep vampire free. All of the possibilities shifted in front of my mind's eye in less than a second and I glanced to Edward, seeing the frown curving his mouth ever so slightly. For a brief moment, I wished Alice could see the future, if only to tell me how things would go tomorrow. His frown deepened and I wondered if it was because of my thoughts that he looked displeased-but then I was distracted as I heard a sound. Quiet as a whisper, the front door opened and half of a second later, a tall blonde woman stood in the doorway. She was beauty reincarnate with golden hair and golden eyes.

What I didn't expect was for Edward to stand. He rose fluidly to his feet, his expression nearing livid.

"What did you do, Rose?" It probably didn't matter what she had done. She could probably get away with murder if she wanted. The smirk that curved her lips was evil and she didn't answer, moving to sit by Emmett. "What is it?" Carlisle had paid attention, never missing a beat, and Edward was scowling, his gaze trained on Rosalie. "It seems Rosalie has developed the habit of picking fights with animals." His voice was smooth-and it didn't click at first. When it did, Edward had a split second advantage on me. His arms locked around me and Rosalie hadn't moved from her spot on the couch; Emmett had and was standing in front of where she was reclined, arms crossed over his chest. In the haze of anger I felt, it didn't occur to me to be afraid of him. "What the hell did you do?" I spit out, the sound harsh and strange with the tinkling voice I had. Bella looked startled by the sudden change in my mood-but I didn't care much about that. I was too busy listening to Rosalie. "I didn't do anything-well, nothing wrong. It was the mutt's fault, not mine." She then chose to stand, moving to stand beside Emmett. "I had gone to make sure the Volturi had truly left, and I saw him running back to his pack-he chose to talk to me. Apparently, he felt the need to warn me to be nice to you or he would send his entire pack to rip us all to shreds. How very nice of him, don't you think?" I blinked. That did sound like Jacob-but I didn't see the harm in what he had said. HE was only being protective, just like the wolves should be.

"I told him, in response that t didn't matter if he sent his puppy friends to bite our ankles because they would be extinct soon anyway, since his imprint can't have children. And he attacked me. I, personally, believe I was defending myself and he had no right to attack me. He deserved the broken leg he got." My entire body locked up at the image of Jacob, in wolf or human form, lying on the round with a broken leg. "If hell exists, I hope you have a spot in it," I snarled before tearing out of Edward's grip and taking off for the door. I was out of it before anyone could follow-and I followed the scent Jacob had left, desperate to find him if he was injured. I swallowed as I saw a russet skinned boy leaning against a tree, his face pale beneath the darkened tone he possessed. I sped up, eyes moving to survey the damage. His leg was swelling and it looked painful, black and blue. I grimaced and stopped, a hand resting on the thin skin of his wrist. He opened his eyes and they were glazed with pain. Fuck, I was going to kill Rosalie. I almost didn't register someone running up behind me-I could feel an acute panic and pain rising in my chest as I looked at Jacob and wondered if the pain I felt was because he was in pain. But the noise of footsteps broke through my reverie and I looked…

A scowl on his lips and looking fit to murder, Emmett made his way towards us, a purpose in his stride.

**A/N: I just wanted to say that I actually do like Rosalie's character, but I needed to use her as being the bad guy in this one scene. There is a reason behind this and also…. I hate leaving scenes half-finished like this, so I'm going to try to get the next chapter up by Tuesday, I think. If it all works out.**


	7. Chapter 7-Playing Doctor and Waging War

**Author's Note:**

**So. I am a horrible person for not updating properly and I feel horrible. But, on the flip side of things, this chapter didn't turn out like I had outlined it…and yet the outcome of it was better than I had thought it would be. I like it, but let me know what you think and if you have any ideas for this story. I would be really glad to include anything you lovely people who read can think of. Also, I'd like you to read the author's note at the end, as it explains some things.**

***All the thanks and love in the world go to my readers who review and follow; but more than that, a vat of love and gratitude goes to the one person I can call my best friend and sister, Ashley Carissa. Thank you for keeping me writing-and moderately sane-when I didn't think I should continue doing it***

_** Warning: This chapter contains a brief scene where there is a somewhat vague description of abuse and violence; if you do not like this or feel that it is something you personally cannot handle, please do not proceed to read this chapter.**_

**So. Continuing from where we left off…**

_**Chapter Seven-Playing Doctor and Waging War….Kind of.**_

_A scowl on his lips and looking fit to murder, Emmett made his way towards us, a purpose in his stride._

Tensed from the instant my crimson eyes had registered the image before me, a memory flooded behind my eyes-a hazy human memory of painful, bitter hits and then sickly sweet flowers as an apology, a bribe to keep my mouth shut.

Bile rose in my throat and before Emmett could fight it off, I moved to attack.

For an instant, fear didn't exist. To protect Jacob from the pain I had suffered from for so long was my only goal. Vision tinted red with anger, I took a running start and shoved him with all the strength I could muster-and given that I was a new born, it was a lot more than he could put out, no matter how strong he looked. The deer blood hadn't been in my veins long enough to affect me; Emmett went flying into a tree a fair distance away and his lips pulled back in a snarl as the tree broke clean in half, falling on the ground in the other direction. "I came to help him, kid," He said with a clenched jaw. My posture still tensed; I was still ready to fight the oversized vampire. "You came to help him? And why should I believe you when he tried to attack your mate?" He rolled his ocher eyes, sighing and crossing his arms as his jaw flexed. "Because, and I know I'm gonna pay for saying this, Rose has the tendency to act stupid. She gets overdramatic and it always ends up in everybody taking shit for it for months. So, in light of her being stupid for the hundredth time, I came to_**help**_**.** And he does need Carlisle's help. His bone is probably going to have to be broken again to get it to set right because of how fast he heals-he's probably already almost completely healed just from you standing here, trying to protect his honor or whatever the hell you're doing." I swallowed, still tense as three full seconds passed. Well… he had a fair point. Jacob did need to get back to Carlisle. "Fine," I hissed out, eyes narrowed at him. "But you lay _**one**_ finger on him to hurt him and I attack the blonde bimbo."

He nodded and in the blink of an eye, held out a hand to me-a gesture of a truce. I touched is hand briefly, shaking it before he moved, picking Jacob up in a sinuous movement of his granite muscles. He was off and running within the same half of a second towards the Cullen household. I followed right beside him, an eye on Jacob the entire time, worry coating every nerve ending I had. We reached the steps of the house, greeted by a very irritated looking Jasper. "Carlisle needs him upstairs. He can do most of the…needed medical practicing up there and then he'll determine whether he needs to get supplies form the hospital." He held the door open for Emmett who didn't even nod in response, moving upstairs. I went to follow, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. Jasper gave me a wry smile. "I think it would be best if you stayed outside while this goes on. He's going to be in a lot of pain and the closer you are to me, the more I can calm you down. So, have a seat, if you will." I looked at him blankly for a full half minute before sighing, head dropping ever so slightly in defeat before I moved to take a seat on the front steps; I smoothed the skirt of my dress after I straightened my legs, crossing my feet at the ankles. A hand on each side of me, palms down, I looked to the blonde haired man and said dryly, "Anything else I can do for you?" He smiled a crooked smile at me, taking a seat on the top step like me-but I had to still look up to see him properly; his voice was smooth, never once flinching as a scream pierced he air, followed by several flowery word choices.

I flinched, hand twitching as if to lift myself from the steps, but a calmness washed over me that was almost…numbing and I had a clear enough head to process what Jasper said. "I was in an army, like you. I was seventeen when I was…recruited." I blinked, crimson-turned-generic-blue eyes stunned. "Really? We were never told that," I murmured, a little foggy with the amount of calm that had washed over me. It made me feel something akin to how I used to feel when I was sleepy as a human. "Most likely because Victoria didn't know. I don't generally attempt to broadcast my background to everyone; though, to be fair, people can see the scars and can sense I fought some kind of battle after I was bitten. They also shy away from speaking to me when they see them, but that's not the point. I was recruited for a different reason. Maria, the one I was bitten by, wanted a larger hunting range. She turned me into a vampire-and I was her best weapon before I left her and found Alice." I felt myself flinch, my heart throb despite the heaviness of calm over me when another scream sounded before he could finish. The blanket of calm was smothering me-and he sensed it, lightening the amount of it infinitesimally before he continued. "If it helps, you can talk about your human life to me, for a distraction. I can feel how hard this is for you, you know." I swallowed bitterness and pain encasing my dead heart. "It wasn't much better than this one, to be honest. Well, this one is better because of Jacob but…pain isn't something I'm unfamiliar with, unfortunately."

I shifted a little, scratching my cheek and tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear absentmindedly as I continued. "I have dull memories of my family, and I know why I moved to Seattle. My father was abusive, to me and to my mother. Abusive…but powerful. He was the CEO of a company in Georgia and there were few people who could say no to him. There was literally nothing we could do to get out of it." I paused, eyes closing as my heart throbbed a little…a dull memory of a small white church came into view and I took what would have been a necessary and calming breath, had I been alive. "Then, one night, he came home drunk and thought my mother had been cheating on him. So…he told her he was gonna make sure she was never with another man again. All she had done that day was go grocery shopping and tend to the garden in the back of the house. I was in my room and heard the yelling-I thought it was going to be routine so I plugged in my headphones like momma had always told me to do and locked my door and made sure my window was too. And then I heard the gunshot." I swallowed, silence enveloping us and the sound of labored breathing from upstairs crystal clear. I wasn't sure, but I thought I knew what had been suggested to Jacob. I could hear another crack as I continued to speak, but no scream came. I was probably right. "He shot her with a rifle; at a two foot distance, it completely shredded her. I'm kind of…grateful I don't remember what she looked like then. I never got a clear look at her. The next day, my aunt showed up and took me from him."

I paused again, sighing. "My aunt is going to think I ran away from her. I know she will. I was in Seattle all of a week and then I went missing; I didn't even leave a note because I hadn't figured I'd be out after dark and she'd told me I could do whatever I wanted as long as I was home by seven so we could eat supper every night on time." I smoothed a hand absentmindedly against the fabric of the skirt and there was silence everywhere around me except for Jacob's breathing and the sound of the television in the living room to present a thin façade of privacy for me. I shrugged it off after a moment and cleared my throat, the calming effect lightening even more. "You know," I said conversationally after twenty of Jacob's heartbeats had passed, "I think that, maybe, I pity Rosalie more than I'm angry with her." The surprise on his face was clear-but in the haze of calm he had put me in, I had been able to think of something, had processed something I hadn't before with red tinted vision. "Why?" His question was wary and I gave him a wry smile. "Tell me Rosalie didn't want kids in her human life with a completely straight face, Jasper." He blinked, unable to respond before I spoke again. "We only speak what we know hurts-and for her to know not being able to have children hurt, she would have had to experience it in some form or fashion. My guess is she was changed before she was able to conceive children. Therefore, I am not angry with her-but I do pity her and her misplaced anger. I don't approve of how she handled things, but I am not stupid."

There was a pause and a soft hissing sound before I continued. "Being turned into a vampire didn't diminish my intelligence and after years of suffering abuse, I like to think I've learned to read people better than most. I know she isn't a bad person. But even being a good person can't excuse bad intentions and she owes Jacob and I an apology-just like Jacob owes her one." I narrowed my eyes at the growl I heard from upstairs and sighed. "Don't be such a piss ant; you knew better than to goad her when you were alone in the woods, you dumbass," I muttered and I heard a sigh and several chuckles. A thought occurred to me as silence ensued and I voiced it gently, "So…how exactly are we going to tell the pack that one of the vampires attacked their alpha and _not_ start world war three?" Jasper frowned and I had the answer I didn't want to see; he didn't know and I was guessing no one did. But, I had a fair guess at what we could do and I hoped Edward was reading my thoughts on this one. If we got Jacob to call Sam and give him the alpha command not to attack the Cullens before he have the news, then he would be able to tell them and there would be nothing anyone could do about it. …right? I hoped it would work. I sincerely did because I couldn't see this not ending any other way than badly if they didn't get the command first.

Edward opened the front door, leaning against the frame and saying, "That might work-if Seth and Embry weren't on their way here right now. They just crossed the border; we have three minutes before they get here. And the worst is over-Jacob is resting and says he'd like to see you, Bree." I rose to my feet and was at the door before he could finish the first sentence. I nodded, pushing past him as another wave of calm enveloped me. I rolled my eyes, moving past the living room without even sparing a glance for it and going to the room they'd placed Jacob in. It appeared to be a spare bedroom, with yellow walls and a regular sized bed and a small desk in it. My lips were closed as I ran my longue over my top row of teeth, irritated at the bright color as I glanced at the white curtains on the other side of the room. There was a split second before I saw Jacob that I didn't feel panic in my chest; when I saw him, when my blue eyes finally locked on his, I felt my stomach clench. Could vampires throw up? If they could, I would have. He was so pale, so very pale underneath his russet skin, and sweat had collected on his forehead. A wash cloth and a pan of water sat on the night stand beside the bed and I moved to sit beside him, still worried he was in pain. He was sitting up, propped against pillows and the headboard-but the smile he gave me was weak, lips quivering; I picked up the hand that rested on his stomach, lacing my fingers through his. "Doc said I might live," he joked and I leveled my best glare on him. "Not funny, Jake," I muttered, bringing his knuckles up to my mouth and pressing them against my lips.

"Sorry," he murmured and the apology in his dark brown eyes was for more than goading Rosalie and being a stupid wolf boy. I softened at the aching, protective tenderness in his features, and sighed. "Don't do it again," I chastised gently, reaching for the wash cloth and wringing it out. I folded it in half and began to wipe the sweat off of his forehead gently, moving to his neck as I said, "You gotta tell them not to attack, Jake. Two of them are coming and they're not gonna be happy about this." He sighed as I dipped the cloth in the water again, wringing it out and folding it before bringing it to his skin. "I know…and it's Seth and Embry. Seth is like….sometimes sunshine pours out of his rear end he's so happy all the time and Embry is like the shy nerd who never speaks to anyone. I know, weird since you have to be pissed off to phase, but… well, it's what we ended up with. Glad they didn't send Paul; Paul would love the chance to rip Blondie one." I frowned at the mention of Rosalie, putting the wash cloth in the water and leaving t there as I turned to Jacob. But he wasn't looking at me-his gaze was on the doorway and his expression was guarded. His mood had shifted so suddenly that it left me scrambling for an explanation; I didn't have to look far. Confused, I tuned to look-and really, I should have smelled her coming; she was like never ending stench, something I couldn't escape from in this blasted place. She was everywhere, soaked into every surface, every molecule of wood and cloth.

Bella stood in the doorway, cautious and surprisingly without Edward by her side. She was still pretty-but she was still most definitely a stench that was a struggle to stomach, given the memories of my past. I narrowed my eyes at her and she smiled nervously. "Um, I c-came to check on Jake," she said. The nickname wrinkled something inside of me but I smoothed my expression out, standing-barely half of a second passed before Jacob's fingers were around my wrist. "Would you like me to leave the room? I can give you a moment if you'd like." The sweetness was false, forced, and I heard Edward's soft chuckle form just down the hall. Bella took in my expression for a long moment before she nodded, nervousness still present in her every move. "If-if you don't mind," she allowed and I felt my muscles go rigid. Jake snorted and I cut my eyes at him in a warning to shut the hell up. Carefully, I formed a smile I knew to be sweet. "Of course, Bella," I allowed, walking calmly for the door and pushing past her without breathing. She shut the door behind her and the second the click was heard I had a strong urge to punch the wall. Edward grinned at me and I snarled quietly, knowing Bella couldn't hear me. Jacob probably could, though. But before I could focus on what Edward might have had a as a response, I tuned into what Bella was saying. I leaned in against the wall, listening intently to her soft spoken words.

"_Jake, I'm so sorry about Rosalie-"_

"_**Bella, it's not your fault."**_

"_But, Jake-"_

"_**No, Bella."**_

"_But if I had told them to send someone else or-"_

"_**No, Bella. Listen to me. It was my fault. I should have known not to goad Blondie in the woods without back up."**_

There was a pause and I breathed in and out carefully, focusing on the warm and sunny scent Jacob had left behind to calm myself down enough for when she would speak again.

"_Are you sure…?"_

A sigh came-from Jacob, I assumed. Edward's grin made me believe I was right.

"_**Yes, Bella. I'm sure. You know, you'd think people would believe me. This isn't some secret plot to destroy the vampires or something. Let's face it, Sam isn't that clever. Leah might be, but she's too busy hating your Popsicle and his family of assorted flavors to really plot anything that would have to do with actually…interacting with another vampire."**_

"…_Popsicle?"_

I grinned at that, remembering the scene and Jake laughed. Just the sound of it made me feel a few degrees lighter.

"_**You had to be there, Bells, you had to be there."**_

My smile dropped at the nickname and a snarl curled my lips, fingernails scraping the wall hard enough to peel the paint off. Edward simply rolled his eyes.

There was a brief pause and another sigh.

"_So. This is it. No more secret crushes and valentine candy hearts? No more doting and getting into pointless fights with my Popsicle?"_

Jacob snorted again and I frowned. Secret crushes? What. The. Hell.

"_**I never gave you candy hearts. A motorcycle and a concussion, yeah, but never candy. Please, Bella, don't insult me like that. I wasn't that far gone." **_

"_You so were."_

"_**Was not."**_

"_Were too."_

_**Was not."**_

"_Was not."_

"_**Were too-damn. I was not and you know it, Bella. Don't make me get my crippled butt off of this bed and tackle you. I will do it. Even crippled, I'm still faster and less clumsy than you."**_

She snickered and for a brief second, I could feel the sense of closeness, the sense of friendship between them.

There was a pause and then the warm feeling vanished as she murmured words that made a sensation akin to fire ants crawl all over my skin.

"_Love you, Jake."_

"_**Love you too, bells-love you the right way, now."**_

The right way? Oh, he had a hell of a lot to explain to me.

Edward's grin seemed permanent at this point and I sighed lightly, smoothing out my expression as I heard light steps coming for the doorway. I straightened my posture, pushing myself lightly away from the wall as she opened the door, giving the calmest expression I could manage. Edward's grin still hadn't faltered. I walked forward, patting Bella lightly on the arm as I went by and heard Edward chuckle as she flinched away. I ignored her reaction and walked into the too cheerful room, swinging the door shut a little less delicately. I walked calmly to the side of the bed I had been perched on and sat down in the same precise spot. It was a moment before I softly cleared my throat, moving my eyes to Jacob and saying. "Jacob, after your wolf buddies leave, we need to have conversation because either I need to know what happened between you and the human or I might rip her head off the next time you call her "Bells"-which, by the way, is a stupid nickname." His eyebrows had been raised, but now they were at normal height again and his lips were twitching as he fought a smile. "You're jealous, aren't you?" He said, his tone disbelieving. My eyes narrowed and I sighed through my nose, already calmed by the sudden influx of his scent and the warmth he radiated; I was beginning to crave the heat he seemed to emit in waves. I didn't know if it was good or bad. I hadn't even known him five hours and I was already hung, addicted to him-his voice, his beauty, his heat, and his smile-and every little nuance I could see.

I parted my lips, ready to give an answer to his question, but there was a knock at the door-one I knew none of the Cullens would have given. To affirm my suspicions, a voice sounded, deep and worried form the other side. "Jake, man, are you alright? The doc said you were all messed up." I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and stood once again, feeling another strand of hair fall out of place as I ignored Jacob's grin. I opened the door gently, so as not to startle the person on the other side, and was greeted by the sight of Seth and the shaggy haired boy who had been so silent earlier. I gave him a tense smile that looked more like a grimace as I said, "Hi, Seth. I have to warn you, before you come in here, that this is not my fault." His eyes widened ever so slightly and he nodded so I stepped away from the door, walking back to the bed and taking my seat again, crossing one leg over the other and resting my hands in my lap. "What _happened_?" The shaggy haired one spoke and his brown eyes had gone a shade darker as the temperature of his skin increased. I could feel it, even from the distance he was across the room. "Jacob," I murmured, fingers going to the skin of his wrist, his grin had faded and he sighed, speaking quietly. "Before I explain, you are not allowed-neither of you or any of the pack is allowed to attack the Cullens for this. That's an order. Understood?" They nodded, eyebrows furrowed as they stepped forward in sync; it was only then he spoke…and even then his words were careful, measured and precise.

I didn't listen to him. I knew what had happened. I watched his expression as he explained what had happened in the forest, focusing on what was before me to keep from feeling the anger arise on behalf of the blonde woman downstairs. He still looked so very pale, so fragile, and there was nothing I could do about it… It tore at the dead spot where my heart would have been pumping and when he stopped explaining, his eyes moved to my face ad guilt flashed on his own. "What's wrong Bree?" His question was soft, laced with care and affection I'd never been on the receiving end of. It made me uncomfortable-but when his hand squeezed mine, all of the tension melted away and I sighed. "I just…there's nothing I can do to make it better and the one thing I can do, I can't because apparently even when you're a vampire, you get to feel bad about killing people. So right now, things just kind of suck." He grinned again, eyes light and mischievous once more. "Well, I could do it for you," he offered and I rolled my eyes. "No. That's what got you here in the first place, crippled boy. You need to rest." He rolled his eyes, leaning more fully against the headboard and just looking at me for a long moment before Seth cleared his throat. He looked apologetic as I laid eyes on him, and there was another moment of silence before he spoke. "Before we left, Sam was talking to the guys about what we would do with two alphas and he said, um… he said that if some of us wanted to leave and be in a pack with you, then we would be free to go since there can't be two Alphas in one pack."

He paused, looking to the one I guessed to be Embry, who had a soft smile curving his lips. "We chose you, so Sam sent us to check on you and tell you where our loyalties lie," Embry provided, his tone much gentler than I had been initially. I looked away from Embry to Jacob. He looked shocked, floored by what they had said. "He's-_what?_** I don't want a freaking pack. I didn't want it when I joined the damn thing and I don't want it now**-" I arched an eyebrow and Jacob closed his eyes, sighing. If he was to protect this family, the one he loathed, and if he wanted to protect me as a direct result, he would have to stomach the objections he had, grow a spine, and move on. After a brief span of about two seconds, he ground out, "Are there any others?" Embry smirked now and Seth looked uncomfortable as he said, "Well, just one…" Jacob's expression shifted and he looked horrified and infuriated. "No-no, not her. Not Leah," he said; the words were half a plea and half a demand. Embry rolled his eyes, scoffing, "C'mon, Jake. Did you really expect her to hang around when Sam was offering her an out? It's the only option she has and you know she's gonna take it come hell or high water…even if it does mean having to put up with you." He was teasing and I let the tremor that came roll like a shiver over my skin, knowing that attacking one of his pack mates would be a fundamentally bad idea, considering Rosalie had already attacked him and we were treading thing ice. Besides, I needed to learn to control myself. This was harmless teasing and it wouldn't hurt anyone.

Well, it wouldn't hurt anyone if I didn't lay into Embry for teasing him in the first place. He was lucky I liked his Alpha so much.

JB-JB-JB-JB-JB

The Cullen house hold was quiet; it was welcome after the long day I'd been forced to participate in and I drank in the quiet like a tall glass of iced tea, letting it soothe over my nerves like the tea used to soothe over the dry muscles of my throat.

I lay on the same yellow quilted bed as Jacob had, drenched in sweat and pale. He had been fed and made sure he was okay before he had been sent off to go and meet the pack, much to my chagrin. We would all be nothing but nerves tonight, since there could be a possible attack if Sam felt the need to. I closed my eyes, the contacts long gone and my eyes now crimson again, and took in Jacob's warm scent. I took my lower lip in between my teeth and sighed as my body relaxed into the softness of the mattress. I was nervous about so many things, but mainly the meeting tomorrow. I just knew Jacob's father was going to be pissed about him getting his leg broken. Jacob had assured me that it would be the easiest thing in the world, compared to getting his leg broken. I wasn't so sure of that, to be honest. I'd had bones that were broken before and they seemed to pale in comparison to how I was feeling now. In the midst of my thoughts, I heard the sound of light footsteps coming down the hallway and then a gentle knock at the door. "Come in," I murmured, knowing it would be loud enough for whoever it was to hear. It opened and Alice slipped inside, her smile cautious as she moved to sit beside me on the bed. "So…" She trailed off and I opened my eyes to look at her. "Yes, Alice?" I said, exasperated with her already. "Um…I know you probably don't feel up to it, which is understandable, but would you please come to the balcony with me? I'd like to show you something." She sounded so very genuine, so innocent…It was hard to believe she might not have meant it.

I should have been more wary of her and her conniving ways.

I stood, following her obediently, as if she had commanded me rather than asked me. She smiled, wrapping my hand in hers and all but skipping to where the balcony was. She pushed the door open and I was too focused on how happy her attitude was that I didn't notice the blonde woman standing on said balcony, leaning against the railing with her gaze on the moon. When I did see her, Alice was already closing and locking the door behind me. I remained still for a moment, jaw tense and teeth grinding together….and then Rosalie spoke, her voice gentle. "You're very good at reading people, you know. And you're right, I do owe the both of you an apology. But you owe an apology to me." She turned to me, ocher eyes burning as she said the last sentence. Eyebrows rising, she supplied an answer to an unvoiced question. "You have caused my family months of pain and suspicion and we are owed an apology from someone. We are owed to be apologized to for all the havoc you created with your…army." I crossed my arms over the blue dress and fixed her with a glare that quieted her. "You have my formal apology, Rosalie, but let me make something clear." I took two steps forward; my size was diminutive compared to hers and my beauty nowhere near her level-but the fresh anger inside of me made me refuse to care. I had a point to make and the blonde one was going to understand it or be tossed off of the balcony. It was her choice, really, I though as amicably as I could in that moment….which, in all honesty, wasn't very amicable.

"I am a tolerant being. I really am, for the creature I've become. I try to be a peacemaker; I've never liked feeding off of humans and the family here is the perfect solution to the problem I've had to deal with for the past month or so. However, I will not hesitate to rip you into tiny, molecular pieces if you ever lay a finger on Jacob again. He is _**my**_ imprint and you will keep your air headed self away from him. I don't care if you try to sic Emmett or whatever his name is one me because I'm not afraid of him when it comes to defending Jacob. I'm not opposed to taking him on to protect him. So please, please, slip up and make the mistake of harming him so I can have the absolute pleasure of destroying you. Because it's all the reason I need," I said carefully, my tone as cold as my skin had become. Eyebrows risen nearly to her hairline she looked amused more than anything as she stared at me while I spoke. When she realized I was finished, she spoke calmly. "I'll take that into consideration from now on; I do apologize for the way I acted. I admit, I could have acted more mature. And…I think we should make a truce for the rest of the family. Even if you don't like me, it doesn't mean they should have to suffer, right?" I nodded slowly and she held out her hand. I took it, shaking it gingerly; a smile spread across her face that was almost angelic-but no, it was just a hair more beautiful than that, I thought. Even though I still burned at the thought of what she had done to Jacob, I couldn't deny the woman her due. She was absolutely gorgeous; no one could ever deny her that.

A brief pause came and then she spoke, sounding hesitant, "So...Can I ask something?" I nodded, confused but willing to listen after she had apologized. "How…how does he smell to you? I mean, how can you stand being so close to him?" I shrugged, saying, "Well, he doesn't smell tome like he does to you guys, obviously. He smells….sweet, bright. Like sunshine and chocolate. Nothing like Bella. Bella smells….No offense to the poor girl, but she smells horrible." She grinned at me, obviously more at ease with me now that the formalities were out of the way. She took a breath, continuing to talk, and I only halfway paid attention; the Rosalie issue was solved, almost, and what I had to worry about now would be the impending Reservation visit. I just had to make it through visiting Jacob's father with a mild sense of approval and things would be okay…for the most part. I still had a long way to go to earn everyone's trust. It would be a very long time before Edward trusted me completely, been if he could see that I saw no appeal in Bella. I tuned into the conversation as Rosalie stopped speaking and answered her with a small smile. The least I could do was have a decent conversation with the girl. She had apologized, which was more than I had expected from her. She seemed the type that was... extremely proud, the kind who was simply overflowing with confidence. I didn't want to jeopardize the moment and ruin the kindness I saw in her eyes. I didn't want is to go back to being enemies even though we had never been friends. As she responded, I thought tiredly that things were almost over with, things were almost right.

And now all I had to do was not worry about meeting Jacob's father, which was easier said than done.

**Author's Note:**

***hides under the covers so you can't glare at me for not updating sooner***

**So, how bad do you hate me right now on a scale of one to ten? Hopefully, not much :)**

**So, to explain the Author's note in the last chapter: I needed Rosalie to be the bad girl in the last chapter because I needed this scene in order for the packs to split. Which there will be a purpose for later, but only I know it so yay me! From this chapter on, Rose will try to behave better, but who can resist Jacob and Rosalie's bickering? Not me :) I vaguely have the meeting with Billy planned out and I'm going to be working on it as soon as possible.**

**Anyway. Now that you've read it, let me know what you think by sending me a review, okay? I'd love to hear what you think even if you're just telling me how horrible it is.**

** Xoxo -Phoebe**


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